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Stanford University Libraries
THE
CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
s-
MACMILLAN AND CO.. Limited
LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO
ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO
THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd.
TORONTt)
Cbe <^lobz CDition
THE
CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
TRANSLATED BY
JOHN BOURCHIER, LORD BERNERS
EDITED AND REDUCED INTO ONE VOLUME
BY
G. C. MACAULAY
FORMERLY FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
irXcov rjfiixrv iravros
MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON
1908
First Rdition 1895
Reprinted 1890, 1904, 1908
PREFACE
The present volume is intended to supply what can hardly be said to exist
already, a popular Froissart for English readers. This is an aim which needs
no apology. Every one ought to read Froissart, but nevertheless, considering
the difficulties which stand in the way, it is hardly surprising that a very large
number of educated persons should be in the position of Henry Morton in Old
Mortality y obliged by sincerity to say * No,' if the question, * Did you ever read
Froissart 1 ' should be put to them. And yet he is recommended to the reader
on so many grounds besides the rather doubtful one suggested by Claver-
house. Not to mention the charm of the narrative as narrative, we must
admit that there is no school of history like reading the record of chroniclers con-
temporary with the events which they relate, and of all such chroniclers Froissart
is surely the most readable. It has been the fashion with some historians to
depreciate his authority, and it is possible, doubtless, to convict him of num-
berless inaccuracies and of some serious misrepresentations ; but the good
faith of the writer is unquestionable, and if we consider the extent of his
narrative, embracing, as he says, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Scotland,
Flanders, and. the adjoining countries, and the difficulty of obtaining news,
which compelled the chronicler himself to travel far and wide and to collect
information from the mouths of those who had taken part in the events, we
shall be rather surprised at the general trustworthiness of the Chronicles than
at their particular errors. Their authority for a student of history in regard to
this or that series of events depends upon a variety of circumstances which it
would not be proper to discuss in this volume. For some parts the chronicler
is dependent on his predecessor, Jean le Bel, for others he is himself a con-
temporary authority; and naturally far greater weight attaches to his narrative
of events in France, Flanders and Hainault, than in England, Spain and the
East But the real value of the work is as a picture of manners, a drama in
which the personages are living characters and not mere historical names,
and the chronicler himself moves among them, not the least real and living.
Let it be admitted that the narrative of events is full of inaccuracies in detail,
yet how characteristic it is of the times. Take for example the story of the
first campaign against the Scots (due originally to Jean le Bel). What a
chronicle of mismanagement and helplessness : and yet it is told as the most
natural thing in the world, and we cannot doubt that whatever inaccuracies
it may contain are mere mistakes of ' topography,' as Fielding might say, and
that the narrative is thoroughly typical of fourteenth century warfare in a
VI THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
difficult country. They go up hills and down dales, not knowing whither they
go nor where the enemy is, and this not in an enemy's country but in their
own. They leave all the baggage and provisions behind them at midnight in
a wood, to be picked up by any one who may chance to find them. When they
at length discover the enemy, they cannot bring him to an engagement, and he
comes and goes as he pleases. Finally he departs unfought with, and they con-
sider the campaign at an end, having suffered terribly for weeks from hunger, wet
and weariness. All this is told in the most graphic manner and without a word
of blame to any one. Or again, as characteristic of that combination of pitiless
cruelty with knightly sport, of which the most chivalrous characters were capable
in that age, take the story told by Froissart of the sack of Limoges. * It was
great pity to see the men, women and children that kneeled down on their knees
before the prince for mercy, but he was so inflamed with ire that he took no
heed to them, so that none was heard, but all put to death as they were met
withal, and such as were nothing culpable : there was no pity taken of the
poor people, who wrought never no manner of treason, yet they bought it
dearer than the great personages, such as had done the evil and trespass ' ;
and then shortly afterwards it is related how the prince passing by in his litter
stayed to see the gallant defence made by three French knights, * and beheld
them gladly and appeased himself in beholding them,' and granted them their
lives when they surrendered. There is pity expressed by the chronicler for
the poor people who had done nothing and made no resistance, but the prince
is still for him *the flower of chivalry.' These examples are types of his
representation of war, and we cannot doubt that they are true types. And it
is the same with every other department of human action. His pages breathe
the spirit of the times to which they belong, and let them contain what inac-
curacies they niay, they are a truer picture of the period than any modern
historian with all his researches, or any modern historical novelist with all his
genius and imagination could present to us. In reading Froissart we are
reading the true history of the fourteenth century and breathing the very air of
that age of infinite variety, in which the knight errant appears side by side
with the plundering adventurer, and in which the popular movements in
Flanders, France and England sounded the first notes of alarm to feudal
oppressors, while the schism of the papacy prepared the way for religious
revolution.
The difficulties which stand in the way of the reader of Froissart are, first,
the vast extent of the Chronicles and their rambling and disconnected
character, and secondly, so far as the English reader is concerned, the want
of a satisfactory translation ; for though the language of the original is by no
means difficult, yet it is not every one who is prepared to face the unfamiliar
forms and spelling of fourteenth-century French. The existing English ver-
sions are two in number, one of the early sixteenth and the other of the early
. nineteenth century. The first is vigorous and spirited, but full of inaccuracies
>xt and translation and of irregularities of style, and also disfigured by
^ misprints and by the utter corruption of many proper names ; the other
pectable and commonplace, with far fewer blunders, though by no means
less in this respect, but certainly not in any sense alive with the spirit of
original. A new translation is evidently desirable ; but on the whole it
5 safer to attempt the task of editing a portion of the older of the exist-
•^rsions, which can hardly be said as yet to have been even corrected for
PREFACE VU
The translation of Fraissart by Lord Bemers is established as an English
classic, and many generations of Englishmen have made their acquaintance
with the Chronicles through it. At the same time, though it has been re-
printed in the present century, it is only to be obtained at a rather high price
^md in a somewhat inconvenient form. An edition of the whole translation
would require far more space than the single volume to which I am limited
ivould afford, but there is some consolation for the omissions which the plan
iif this work renders necessary. Froissart is one of those authors of whom it
may be said in a certain sense that the half is more than the whole. The
student of history indeed would not willingly spare a single page, but the effect
of the whole narrative will often gain considerably by the omission of the less
important gests of arms, which interfere with the flow of the main current of
the story, and we may perhaps also consent to spare from a popular edition
the history of some of the events that lay remote from the chronicler's own
field of observation, as the chapters relating to the English expedition to
Portugal and Galicia, which are called by a good authority * les plus confus et
les plus inexacts de toute I'ceuvre historique de Froissart,' and the events in
England in the latter years of Richard 11., in relating which he is admittedly
very inaccurate. By such omissions as these the exuberant bulk of the
Chronicles may be reduced, and the more interesting and important parts of
them may be more satisfactorily presented to the reader. In many cases the
omissions are such as to give greater continuity to the story ; but in order
to indicate clearly what has been omitted, as well as to supply any links that
may be required for the understanding of the narrative, summaries have been
insetted of that which is left out, varying in length according to the importance
of the matter dealt with and its more or less direct bearing upon that which is
^ivcn in full. Notwithstanding therefore the very considerable extent of the
'iinissions, the result is not a series of extracts, but a continuous history. The
r:ict that a larger proportion is omitted of the second volume than of the first
is due to the greater diffuseness of the Chronicles in the later period : the first
volume includes the events of more than fifty years, the second those of
only fifteen.
The portion of Lord Bemers' translation which is here edited is given as in
the text originally printed, with the following exceptions ; — First, the spell-
ing has been modernised. Secondly, the misprints, errors of punctuation
and such mistakes as seem likely to ,be mere slips of the pen or oversights
hav^e been corrected, a matter which is naturally made much easier by the
P'jssibility of referring to the original French text that was used by the trans-
iiiti^r. Mention has been made of these numerous corrections only where they
are at all doubtful or raise any point of special interest, but where additional
iviirds are inserted they are enclosed in square brackets. Thirdly, proper
names have been brought to an intelligible and tolerably consistent form.
What this means can only be appreciated by those who are familiar with the
mass of corruption and confusion which is exhibited by the manuscripts and
early editions of Froissart in regard to this point, and with the considerable
addition to the chaos for which our translator and his printers are responsible;
but a task which would otherwise have been hopeless has been rendered com-
paratively easy by the labours of modern French editors, and above all by the
invaluable index of proper names appended to Kervyn de Lettenhove's edition.
Kany cases proper names have been given in their correct forms, so far
U can be ascertained, but those which appear in an English dress, such
THE CHRONICLMS OF FSOIS.SART
1
as Walter Manny or Bertram of Guesclin, have not necessarily been ti
French again, and it has been thought well to retain well-known geographical
names such as Bretayne, Burgoyne, Galice, Pruce, Gaunt, etc., rather than
to substitute for them their modem equivalents.
With the exception of the changes above indicated, no alteration has been
made in the text of the translation ; the style, with all its strange irregularity
and carelessness, remains unchanged, the mistakes of translation are repro-
duced, to be corrected only in the notes, if they are sufficiently important, and
the division into chapters and headings of chapters are as the translator made
them, reproducing from the early printed editions the divisions made by the
copyists of a certain class of MSS, In the notes, where reference is made to
' the original ' or ' the French text,' what is meant is the text which the ti
lator had before him, and wherever in the notes a rendering is substitute!
that of the translator without further remark, it is meant as a more «
rendering of that particular text. Incases where a difference of reading CC
in that fact is carefully stated, and the expressions 'true text' or 'better fl
refer to the readings of modern critical editions based on the best MSS. I
notes are for the most part confined to such points as have been here refd
to, and touch upon the substance of the history only very occasionally^
where points of special interest arise. As regards the French text from «■
the translation was made, all that need be reported will be found ii
duction dealing with Lord Bemers and his translation.
The headings of the pages and the dates will ser\'e to facilitate n
and the glossary is intended not only to explain such words as need expire
tion, but also to set forth in a convenient form the chief characteristics of^
translator's diction. Lord Berners' Froissart is an imjMirtant English p
text, and extensive as is the use which has been made of it by the editors ml
' New English Dictionary,' it is probable that even they may glean sconellii
from this new edition. In that part of the great lexicon which has ftlie^
been published our glossary might have supplied them with the new w
'bidaus,' 'cinquan tenter' and 'countersingle.' and with the phrase 'to be ba
in the sense of ' to fight,' with new meanings of ' anger ' (verb) and ' a""
with earlier instances than any which they have quoted of the use of ' ca
in the sense of ' vehicle,' and with valuable additional quotations for _
{i.e. in 'comparison with'), 'assised' and 'closing,'
As regards obligations to other writers, the chief acknowledgment is i
to Kervyn de Leltenhove, whose magnificent edition of Froissart, with
index (or rather dictionary) of proper names and glossary, I have had O
stanily by my side. For a large part of the first book I have also used
unfinished edition of Luce. For the facts connected with the life and di
of Lord Bemers I am indebted chiefly to Dugdale (Baronage of Ei
the memoir given by the editor of the reprint of i8i3, and to the in
prefixed to the edition of ' Huon of Bordeaux,' edited for the Early En|
Text Society by Mr. S. L. Lee.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Title-page of the first volume .
Preface of the translator
Prologue of sir John Froissart
Predecessors of king Edward III.
The queen of England in France, 1326
Queen Isabel in Hainault
Expedition to England
Execution of the Spencers
Accession of Edward III.
War with the Scots, 1327
Marriage of Edward III.
Death of Robert Bruce
Philip of Valois crowned, 1328
Battle of Cassel
Homage of Edward III.
War with the Scots, 1332
Edward's designs on France
Jaques d'Ajrteveld
Battle of Cadsand
Edward III. Vicar of the Empire
War with France
Siege of Cam bray
Edward III. enters France
The hosts at Buironfosse
The French in Hainault
War on the frontiers, 1339-40
Battle of Sluys
Council of Vilvorde
Siege of Tournay
Edinburgh castle taken, 1341
Events during the siege of Tournay
Siege of Tournay raised, 1340
War in Brittany, 1 341
War with the Scots, 1341
The king and the countess of Salisbury
War in Brittany, 1342 .
The order of the Garter founded
The earl of Derby in Gascony, 1345
Capture of La Reole .
Death of Jaques d' Arteveld
Siege of Aiguillon, 1346
Expedition of Edward III. to France, 1346
PAGE
xiii
xxvii
xxviii
I
3
5
7
9
10
12
13
25
26
29
29
31
35
39
40
42
45
47
48
51
52
56
58
61
63
64
65
66
68
70
72
73
75
82
83
87
88
91
93
THE CHRONICLES OF EROISSART
Edward III. in Normandy
Capture of Caen
The English near Paris
Passage of the Somme
Battle of Cr^cy
Siege of Calais
Invasion of England by the Scots
Battle of Nevill's Cross
Betrothal of the earl of Flanders
Surrender of Calais, 1347
The chaplct of pearls, 1350
Death ol king Philip, 1350
Expeditions of the prince of Wales, 1355-56
Events before the battle of Poitiers
Order of the two hosts .
Mediation attempted .
Battle of Poitiers
Return of the prince to Bordeaux
Government by the three estates in France
Disturbances in Paris .
The Tacquerie, 1357 .
Death of Elienne Marcel
Peace of Br^tigny, 1360
Battle of Bri^nais, 1361
The Companies, 1361-62
Accession of Charles V.
Battle of Cocherel, 1364
Coronation of Charles V.
Battle of Auray
End of the wars in Brittany, 1364
Don Peter of Castile .
Henry the bastard
Flight of don Peter, 1366
Don Peter at Bordeaux
Council at Bayonne
The companies quit Spain
Preparations for the expedition to Spain
Passage of the mountains, 1367
Preparations of king Henry
The prince at Navaretta
Letter of the prince of Wales .
Battle of Najara
Afier the battle of Najara
Return of the prince firom Spain
Deliverance of Bertrand du Gucsclin .
Discontent in Gascony, 1368 .
War renewed in Spain
Battle of Montiel
Qipture of don Peter .
Tlie prince of Wales summoneil to Paris
lewal of war, 1369 .
John Chandos and the earl of Pembroke
Ith of queen Philippa
ith of Chandos
given up to the French, 1370
PAGE
94
97
98
[OI
CONTENTS
XI
Sack of Limoges by the English
Bertrand du Guesclin constable
Death of the prince of Wales, 1376
Death of Edward III., 1377 .
Affairs of the Church, 1377
Election of Urban VI., 1378 .
War with the king of Navarre
Peter de Bournazel at Sluys
Affairs of Flanders, 1379
Election of Clement VII., 1378
The queen of Naples and the pope
Sir John Hawkwood .
John Lyon at Ghent .
The white hoods at Ghent, 1379
Burning of the castle of Wondelghem
Alliance of Bruges and Ghent .
Death of John Lyon
War in Flanders .
Wreck of Arundel's ships, 1379
The earl of Flanders at Ghent .
Surprise of Oudenarde .
War renewed in Flanders, 1380
Expedition of Buckingham to France
Battle near Roulers
Si^e of Ghent .
Defeat of Arnold de Clerck
Philip d'Arteveld captain, 1 381
- Wat Tyler's rising
I TTi^Cfhmons at Blackheath .
The commons in London
' Death of Wat Tyler .
, Punishment of the rebels
TJSlth of Grutere and Bette at Ghent, 1382
Famine in Ghent
Conference at Tournay.
Speech of Philip d'Arteveld
March of the Gauntois towards Bruges
Victory of the Gauntois
Bruges taken .
Escape of the earl of Flanders .
Siege of Oudenarde
French intervention
The flying hart
French expedition to Flanders .
Before the battle of Rosebeque
Battle of Rosbeque, 1382
After the battle of Rosel^que .
The French king's return to Paris
English sympathy with the Flemings
Crusade of the bishop of Norwich, 1383
The bishop of Norwich in Flanders
Death of the earl of Flanders .
Title-page of the second volume
Prefeice of the translator
Froissart's journey, 1388
PAGE
201
203
205
206
207
209
210
213
214
217
219
221
222
225
231
232
233
234
235
236
239
241
242
243
245
247
248
250
253
255
259
261 i
2^
265
267
269
271
273
274
277
279
281
282
284
284
289
290
292
294
296
298
302
307
308
309
XII
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
The prince of Wales in Bigorre
Froissart's journey
The duke of Anjou in Bigorre, 1373
Froissart's journey
Foix and Armagnac
Gaston de Foix
His son's death
Peter of Beam .
The bascot of Mauleon
Household of Gaston de Foix .
War in Portugal, 1385 .
Battle of Aljubarrota .
Story of the lord of Corasse
Affairs of the Church .
Affairs of Portugal
The French fleet at Sluys
Capture of the constable de Clisson
Events of the years 1386-88 .
The Scots invade England 1388
Battle of Otterburn
After the battle of Otterburn .
Affairs of Juliers and Gueldres.
Peace between England and France
^<Entry of queen Isabel into Paris, 1389
Visit of the king of France to Avignon,
The king of France in Languedoc
Wager of the king with the duke of Touraine
Death of Urban VI. .
Affairs of the Church, 1389
Expedition to Africa, 1390
Peter de Craon
Attack on the Constable, 1392
French expedition to Brittany .
Madness of the king of France
Dance of savages
Death of pope Clement
Froissart in England, 1395
Debate in the Privy Council, 1395
Irish affairs
Expedition to Turkey, 1396
Battle of Nicopoli
Mission of Jaques de Helly
Return of the French prisoners
Affairs of the Church .
The pope besieged at Avignon
Conferences about the state of the Church
Death of the duke of Lancaster
The earl of Derby lands in England
Capture of Richard II.
Richard II. brought to London
Execution of the king's advisers
• Abdication of Richard
•Coronation of Henry IV.
vl>eath of Richard TL, 1400
Glossary
PAGE
310
312
322
329
330
334
336
339
340
344
352
356
359
360
361
369
370
372
377
381
382
383
389
391
396
397
398
399
405
408
412
415
419
422
423
427
430
435
443
448
453
453
459
461
462
462
463
464
467
468
469
472
477
INTRODUCTION
ON LORD BERNERS AND HIS TRANSLATION
The translation of the Chronicles of sir John Froissart * out of French into our maternal
English tongue,* made by John Bourchier, lord Berners, at the command of king Henry
the eighth, is undoubtedly an English classic. It is not only one of the most extensive
and important texts of English literature during the period of the formation and
development of a native prose style, but it has been also the means by which English-
men have chiefly become acquainted with the former exploits of their countrymen and
the * noble adventures of feats of arms done and achieved in the wars of France and
England,* as registered in the Chronicles of Froissart. As a translator he was first in
the field and held his ground unchallenged until the present century. His version is
full of faults, and the author of it was neither a sound French scholar nor sufficiently
master of his literary tools to write lucid or grammatical English ; but it has merits
which go far to atone for its defects. It was made by a man who could enter into the
spirit of the original, though often at fault in the letter, a man who had himself taken a
part both in war and in politics, and who, though capable when left to himself of the
worst kind of style, was content when translating to reproduce to the best of his power
the simplicity and vigour of his author, and this at a time when the ideals of the middle
ages had not wholly passed away and laefore the pure well of fourteenth-century English
had been very seriously defiled. For these reasons his version has been by many
regarded as representing Froissart better than a more accurate translation in the modern
style. As is observed by a French critic, * la traduction de lord Berners pr^sente, pour
les Anglais, k raison de la naivet^ de son vieux langage, un charme presqu* ^gal k celui
du texte original de Froissart.*
Before entering upon the criticism of this translation it is proper to state shortly
what is known of its author. John Bourchier, or Bourgchier, lord Berners, or (as it was
often written) Barnes, belonged to a family which was of great distinction and import-
ance. The founder of its fortunes had been Robert Bourchier, Chancellor of England
in the year 1340, and the first layman who held that office. This Robert Bourchier
accompanied Robert d*Artois into Brittany in 1342, was with Edward III. in the cam-
paign of 1346, and was present at the battle of Crecy (vol. i. chs. 91 and 128 of this
translation). His son, John Bourchier, fills a certain place in the Chronicles of Frois-
sart. He is mentioned as distinguishing himself at the siege of Dinan in 1342, he was
present at the battle of Auray (i. 226), he accompanied the prince of Wales to Spain,
he was shipwrecked with Arundel (i. 356), and he was in the expedition of Thomas of
Woodstock, then earl of Buckingham, in 1380 (i. 361). Afterwards, when in the year
1384 the burgesses of Ghent requested the king of England to appoint a governor for
them, John Bourchier was sent with the title of * reward (rewaert) of Flanders,* the
XIV THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
same style which had been used by Philip van Arteveld (i. 447 and ii. i, etc.). This
post he held for rather more than a year, and then returned in consequence of the
reconciliation of Ghent with the duke of Burgundy (ii. 18-20). His son Bartholomew
is mentioned by Froissart as made knight before Saint-Omer by the earl of Buckingham
in 1380 (i. 361).
This Bartholomew died without male issue and the barony of Bourchier passed
eventually to the descendants of his younger brother. William Bourchier, son of this
younger brother, married in 14 19 Anne, daughter of Thomas of Woodstock, youngest
son of Edward III., and in the same year was created earl of Eu in Normandy. This
William earl of Eu had four sons and a daughter. The sons were — (i) Henry earl of Eu,
afterwards viscount Bourchier, and finally earl of Essex ; in 1449 associated with others in
a commission to govern Calais for five years, and in 1454 lord Treasurer of England :
(2) William lord Fitzwarren : (3) Thomas, who became archbishop of Canterbury and a
cardinal, Chancellor of England in i486 : (4) John, who married Margery, widow of
John Ferreby and heiress of sir Richard Bemers of West Horsley, Sussex, was sum-
moned to parliament as a baron in 1455 by the designation of John Bourchier de
Berners, chevalier, and was commonly called lord Bemers, though bdbre this time there
was perhaps no barony of Bemers. This John Bourchier fought for Henry VI. at the
first battle of St. Albans in 1455, ^"^ afterwards with the rest of his family he became
attached to the house of York, and was appointed by Edward IV. constable of Windsor
Castle. His eldest son, Humphrey, married Elizabeth Tylney, and was killed fighting
for Edward IV. at the battle of Barnet in 147 1, leaving one son, the subject of this
notice, then a child not more than four years old, and two daughters, Margaret and
Anne. Three years later, on the death of his grandfather, the boy succeeded to the
title and estates.
John Bourchier, lord Berners, the future translator of Froissart, was born either in
1467 or 1469, and probably grew up under the guardianship of Thomas Howard, after-
wards duke of Norfolk, to whom his mother was married some few years after his
father's death. ^ He was made a knight of the Bath in 1477, heing then at most ten
years old, on the occasion of the betrothal of the king's second son, the young duke of
York (afterwards murdered in the Tower), to Anne, daughter and heiress of John Mow-
bray, duke of Norfolk. He was educated at Oxford, probably at Balliol Collie, and
afterwards travelled abroad, where he may probably have been during the troubles of
the reign of Richard III., which took place while he was still quite young. Whatever
line he individually might have taken owing to his connexion with the Howards, it is
evident that the behaviour of Richard III. had alienated the rest of the Bourchier ^mily
from his cause ; and we find that several members of it gave assistance to the earl of
Richmond. One, if not two, of lord Bemers' uncles had taken part in the insurrection
of Buckingham ; one of them, Thomas Bourchier, fought for Richmond at Bosworth
field ; and finally the ceremony of coronation on the accession of Henry VII. was per-
formed by cardinal Bourchier, then archbishop of Canterbury, the great-uncle of lord
Berners.
The services thus rendered were requited by the favour of Henry VII., in which
naturally lord Bemers shared. He was first summoned to parliament by the style of
'John Bourgchier lord of Bemers ' in the nth year of Henry VII., having been previ-
ously employed at the siege of Boulogne in 1492. Some authorities say that he distin-
guished himself in putting down the insurrection of I497, but this is perhaps a mistake,
arising from confusion between lord Bemers and his uncle Thomas Bourchier. On the
accession of Henry VIII. he became a favourite with the king and was employed in vari-
ous military enterprises. In 1513 we find him as captain of the pioneers at the si^e
of Terouenne, where he did good service, especially in the recovery of a gun, which had
been left behind on the road by negligence and had nearly fallen into the hands of the
1 Besides the connexion formed by the marriage marriage of John Mowbray, third duke of Norfolk,
of his mother with lliomas Howard, who succeeded with the great-aunt of Lord Bemers. He himself
o the dukedom, there was an earlier kinship by the afterwards married a Howard.
INTRODUCTION XV
French. In 15 14, on the occasion of the marriage of the king's sister Mary with Louis
XIL, lord Berners was one of those who gave attendance upon her to Abbeville, Shortly
afterwards he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer for life.
In 1 518 a special embassy was sent to the Spanish court to congratulate Charles V.
on his accession and to endeavour secretly to detach him from the mterests of France.
For this important mission the archbishop of Armagh and lord Berners were selected.
Several of the original despatches sent by the ambassadors are extant among the Cotton
I MSS. in the British Museum. The first report was favourable, but changes took place
in the views of Wolsey as r^^ards the French alliance, and from some of the despatches
it is evident that he was dissatisfied with the doings of the envoys. In the month of
(August lord Berners fell seriously ill, and did not recover his health during his stay in
Spain. For this reason they would have desired to return by land, but they were so
ill supplied with money for their expenses, that they were compelled to come back by
•the nearest way. They took leave of the Spanish court in January 15 19 and took ship
at Saint Sebastian.*
Lord Berners with his wife attended the king at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, and
on July 2nd 1520 he was thanked by the Privy Council for an account of that ceremonial
which he had forwarded to them. Towards the end of the year 1520 he was appointed
to the post of deputy of Calais, one of the most important offices of trust under the
crown. Here he seems to have remained for the rest of his life, busying himself partly
in strengthening the fortifications, as we learn from his letters to Wolsey, and here it
was that he chiefly found leisure for literary pursuits, being debarred, it seems, by the
."! state of his health from active military service. In the latter part of his life he must
i have been somewhat embarrassed in money matters, partly perhaps owing to some law-
jf-suits in which he had been involved, and he was a debtor to the crown at the time of
ji his death to the extent of at least ;f50o. Henry VIII. was anxious to secure payment
II out of his estate, and when the deputy lay on his death-bed, the king set agents at Calais
j to watch over his personal effects. Lord Berners died on the i6th of March 1532-33,
jf and was buried in the church of Saint Mary at Calais. All his goods were immediately
ll placed under arrest, and an inventory taken, which exists still in the Record office.
:' Among his effects were eighty books, chiefly French and Latin, but the titles unfortu-
' oately are not given.
He was married to Catherine, daughter of John Howard, duke of Norfolk,
apparently the sister-in-law of his mother, by whom he had two daughters, Mary and
Jane. He left also several illegitimate children.
Besides the translation of Froissart he made several other translations: as *The
Hystorye of the moost noble and valiaunt Knyght Arthur of lytell Brytayne,' translated
from the French. No copy of the early editions of this is known to exist. It was
; republished in 1 814 by Utterson from a seventeenth-century edition.
*The Castel of Love,' translated from the Spanish at the instance of the lady
Elizabeth Carew. Of this there is a copy in the British Museum supposed to have been
• printed about 1540, but probably this was not the first edition.
*The ancient, honorable, famous and delightful Historie of Huon of Bourdeux,
'enterlaced with the Love of many Ladies,' translated from the French at the desire of
the earl of Huntingdon. One copy only exists of an early edition and that without
<iate (being imperfect at the beginning and the end), but supposed to be of the year
1534. It has been edited by Mr. S. L. Lee for the Early English Text Society.
'The Golden boke of Marcus Aurelius,' translated from the French at the desire of
his nephew, sir Francis Bryan. This is a translation from a French version of the well-
bown work by Guevara. The first edition bears the date 1534. It became very
' In one of the despatches the ambassadors good game to teach men to fly. My lord Berners
•eport that at Saragossa the king joined in the answered that the Frenchmen learnt it well beside
national exercise of ' casting canes, that is, hurling Guingate at the jpurney of Spurs.' These de-
iavelins and galloping away in Parthian fashion, spatches will be found summarised in Brewer's
'whereof the French ambassador said it was a 'Letters and Papers of the reign of Henry VIII.'
b
XVI THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
popular and went through many editions before North published his * Dial of Princes,'
from the same original slightly expanded, in 1557.
Lord Bemers is said also to have composed a treatise * of the duties of the inhabitants
of Calais,* which has been perhaps rightly identified with * Ordenances for Watch and
Ward of Calais,' printed with other documents relating to Calais for the Camden Society in
1846 ; and a comedy called 'Ite in vineam meam/ which was sometimes acted in the
great church at Calais after vespers. This last is not extant
Some remarks may be here made on this list of works before passing on to the main
subject of this Introduction. The translator's prologue to the romance of * Arthur of
Little Britain ' closely resembles in some respects the preface to the translation of
Froissart, but it is written in a much simpler style and is more humble in its pretensions.
The writer declares that he cannot render the work into * fresh, ornate, polished English,'
because of his insufficiency in * the facundious art of rhetoric,' and that he is but a learner
of the language of French. The style of the preface to Froissart is much more formed
and testifies to a terrible prc^ess in the art of rhetoric, as it was then conceived, nor
does the translator any longer speak of himself as ignorant of French. On the whole
we may perhaps assume that * Arthur of Little Britain ' was his first considerable work
in literature.
The Froissart may probably have come next, and then the * Castle of Love * and
* Huon of Bordeaux.* The 'Golden Book of Marcus Aurelius* was the work of his
last years, though he was not apparently occupied upon it, as has been sometimes stated,
during the very last week of his life. The colophon of this book states that it was * ended
at Calais the tenth day of March ^ in the yere of the reigne of our soveraygne lorde
kyng Henry the VIIL the xxiii.,' that is 1531-32, a full year before the translator's death.
I have not seen a copy of the first edition, nor do I know where one is to be found, and
it is possible that it may contain the reading xxiiii. (as stated by Mr. Lee), though
Dibdin reports otherwise; but certainly in the edition of I535» and in subsequent
editions so far as I know, it is xxiii. In any case, however, the book does not seem
to have been printed in the translator's lifetime, and no doubt it was published by sir
Francis Bryan, himself afterwards a translator of Guevara. At least twelve editions of
this book are recorded between 1534 and 1560, and there can be no doubt that the
credit of making Guevara known in England must be assigned to lord Berners rather
than to North. It has been suggested therefore that the * Golden Book ' and not the
* Dial of Princes * was the real father of what is called Euphuism in England : but it is
vain to attempt to trace Euphuism, except in a very restricted sense, to the influence of
any single book, and it will soon be acknowledged that the translators of Guevara
were no more really responsible than Lyly for a style which had developed simultaneously
in all the neighbouring countries. If nothing else could be adduced to shew that the
tendency existed already in English literature, the prefaces to lord Berners' Froissart,
written before he could possibly have read Guevara, would be enough to prove it.
II
In his translation of Froissart's Chronicles, lord Bemers no doubt found a truer
satisfaction than in any of his other works. His delight was in history rather than in
fiction : it is history which alone in his judgment *complecteth all profit,' moving us to
emulate the example of those who have been before us, with the prospect of ourselves
l^ecoming an example to those that shall come after. There is a real enthusiasm,
visible through the artificiality of the rhetoric, in his praise of history, and he evidently
desired that the narratives with which he dealt should have at least the semblance of
truth. In the prologue to * Arthur of Little Britain ' he naively lets his readers into
the secret that he undertook to translate the book before he had read it, and declares
that as he advanced with his task he had been so staggered by the * unpossibilities ' of
story, that he had thought to have left and given up his labour. However, he had
t is a curious coincidence thr^t the translation of Froissart also was finished on the loth of March.
INTRODUCTION xvii
consoled himself with the reflection that divers other * noble histories ' in which the
deeds of famous knights of old were related, seemed to our understanding not less
incredible, and that the first author of the book had probably devised it * not without
some measure of truth or virtuous intent. ' Just so we may conceive that he was enticed
into attempting * Huon of Bordeaux ' by the specious semblance of history which the
first part of that romance presents, and that * the instant desires of his nephew, Francis
Bryan, knight,* that he would translate the * Golden Book of Marcus Aurelius,' may
have been powerfully seconded by the pretence, which the author made and long
maintained, that it was all genuine history.
Be this as it may, the translation of Froissart's Chronicles was undertaken, as already
stated, at the command of the king. The first volume was * Imprinted at London, in
Fletestrete, by Richard Pynson, printer to the kynges noble grace, and ended the xxviii. day
of January, the yere of our lorde mdxxiii.* (that is 1523-24) : the second volume was
finished at Calais the loth day of March in the i6th year of the reign of king Henry
VIII., and printed as before by Richard Pynson, the printing being ended on the last day
of August in the year 1525. Pynson issued at least two editions of the book, but with
the same date and imprint. It was also printed by William Myddylton, * in Fletestrete,
at the signe of the George/ without date, but the title-page and imprint of this (prob-
ably unauthorised) edition have the words * of the church of England and also of Ire-
lande in earth the supreme heade ' added to the king's title, proving its date to have
been at least as late as 1533. Of this edition I have seen only one volume, the copy in
the British Museum being made up with the second volume of one of Pynson's, but a
note in the Grenville copy of Pynson's edition states that there exists an issue of the
whole book printed by Myddylton. Myddylton's edition, so far as I know it, is a line
for line reprint of Pynson's, but executed in a very much inferior style. Finally the
book was republished in 181 2, under the superintendence of E. V. Utterson, in the form
of a tolerably accurate reprint of Pynson's first edition, with a few notes on mistranslated
passages and many emendations of proper names, given on the authority of the lately
published translation by Johnes. Or these last many are not to be relied upon, and it
should be remarked that by an oversight the black-letter title-page printed for the first
volume is that of Myddylton's edition and not Pynson's.
With the exception of some correction of the punctuation, which remains, however,
exceedingly defective, this last publication reproduces designedly all the errors of the
original edition. These, which are sufl5ciently numerous to leave the reader often in
doubt about the true * sentence of the matter,* consist of two classes, those which pro-
ceed from the translator himself or the French text which he used, and those for which
he is indebted to his printers. It is pretty clear that the translator did not take the
trouble to revise his own proofs, indeed such mechanical work would no doubt in that
age be considered as belonging solely to the printer. Many of the errors are obviously
due to misreading of the translator's handwriting, as * Beamon ' for * Beauieu ' (vol. i. ch.
3), *creylles* for *or6ylles* (i. 17), ' Issodnii ' for *Issodun* (i. 21), *drewe' for * drove'
(L 44), * their grefe * for * them grace ' (i. 56), * the kyng harde noyse ' for * the kyng
harde masse' (i. 124), * Muquateners ' for * Cinquanteners ' (i. 349), 'Dunce' for
*Dunoe' (ii. 206), *mylke' for *myllet' (ii. 215), and very many more, including a
curious case where, the translator having written no doubt, * as at that tyme sir Johan
Wames was capita)nie of Calays * (Warnes being a corruption in the French text of
d'Ewrues, i.e. d'Evreux), the printer has substituted the name most familiar to himself in
connexion with that office, and we read * as at that tyme sir Johan Bemes was capitayne
of Cala)rs,' that is, no other than our translator himself, translated for the occasion into
the fourteenth century (ii. 157). The mistakes of punctuation are still more numerous,
and are often such as to destroy the whole sense of the passage. Of these various
errors very few have as yet received any correction, so that the present may be said
to be the first attempt to give a thoroughly readable text of any considerable portion
of the book.
Lord Bemers had certainly some qualifications which might have been expected to
xvin THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
fit him for his task as translator of Froissart. In such families as his, if in any, the
tradition of the age of chivalry was likely to be still alive. The Chronicles which he
translated are full of the deeds of his ancestors, for we must remember that he was
descended not only from the Bourchiers, but also from Edward the third and from his
son Thomas duke of Gloucester, whose grandson was the grandfather of our translator ;
so that it may fairly be said of him, ' les gloires de son pays ^talent aussi pour lui des
gloires domestiques ' (Lettenhove, i. 3, 457). He was a man of the world quite as much
as a man of letters : he had travelled in various countries and had been engaged in
important service both of war and of diplomacy. Finally he had found leisure for his
literary task in a post which of all others carried with it most associations of the period
of which the Chronicles give us so living a picture. Calais was the prize won on the
field of Crecy, the gate by which the English entered France, the vital point on which
negotiations for peace so often turned, the town of the world which the English loved
best, * for as long as they be lords of Calais, they said, they bare the keys of France
under their girdle * (ii. 179). In the position of captain of Calais, a post which had been
also to some extent associated with his family in former times, he could hardly fail to have
a sense of the living reality of the conflicts of which Froissart wrote the chronicle and in
which his ancestors had taken a leading part. Add to this finally that his lifetime began
within seventy years of the latest events chronicled by Froissart, and that the English
language of his day was not yet very much altered from that of the fourteenth century.
Against these considerations must be set several disadvantages, of which some
arise from defects personal to the translator, others belong to the times in which he
lived. The absence of the means for anything like a critical study of Froissart's
Chronicles reduced the translator to a text of his author which in many resjjects is very
unsatisfactory ; and this corruption of the French text is really responsible for many of
the apparent blunders of translation, as will be sufficiently pointed out in the notes to
this edition. Then again, the undeveloped state of English prose style at the beginning
of the sixteenth century threw unusual difficulties in the way of so extensive a work,
difficulties with which the literary ability of the translator was hardly competent to
grapple successfully. In fact it is evident that he had not a sufficient literary training
for his task, and he shews a certain gentlemanly indiffi;rence to accuracy both in his
rendering of the French and in his style of expressing himself in English. It is of these
disadvantages and defects and of the manner in which they appear in the translation that
I propose now to speak, and first of the French text from which the version was made.
At the time when the work of translation was being done there existed at least five
printed editions of the Chronicles — (i) the editio princeps, printed at Paris for Antoine
Verard, without date, probably about 1495 ; (2) another edition published by the same,
probably about 1497 ; (3) an edition printed by Michel Lenoir, Paris, 1505 ; (4) an
edition published by G. Eustace and F. Regnault,^ Paris, 15 13; (5) an edition by A.
Verard, F. Regnault and J. Petit, Paris, 1518 : all are in 4 volumes, small folio, and
are printed in Gothic letters, and they not only all represent the same text, but the later
editions are printed pc^e by page from the earlier, with only the most trifling alterations
or corrections, so that Denis Sauvage was justified in saying that for critical purposes
they are equivalent to a single edition. ^ As regards the first book, where alone the
1 That is, some copies bear the name of Regnault. V^rard's editions have ' Haneskerly,* which is re-
- It may be of some interest to determme by produced by the translator, while Lenoir has
means of the slight variations that exist, which * Kanerly ' : and finally for the distinction between
particular one of these editions was used by the the two editions of Verard we may quote voL L ch.
translator. The evidence chiefly depends upon 125, where all the other editions, including Verard's
variations in the form of proper names : for ex- first, have * larsin ' or ' larcin/ while Verard's second
ample, the edidoa used by the translator had the has 'darsin,' on which the translator has founded
rMdiifg ' doogpoct ' fbr ' ung port' in vol. L foL 5 an absurd mistake. Such evidence as this tends
' '^- 10 of the translation), a readii^ ex- to shew that the translator used Vc^rard's second
w1|)|y die tariy editions of Verard and by edition, but the variations in these early Issues are
•• hk ¥oL 1. ch. 1X2 the translator has so trifling that they may bo regarded for most ptu*-
■^ ^ given by the two early editions poses as the sani«*.
tf Lenoir or die rest : in i. 221
INTRODUCTION Xix
lifference of redactions is of serious importance, the text represented by these editions
)elongs to that which is called by Kervyn de Lettenhove the second redaction, that is
he class to which by fer the greater number of existing MSS. are referred ; but of this
t is a considerably abridged copy.
The text is of course not a critical one, that is, it was printed apparently from a
ingle manuscript without comparison with others, and the result is that it contains a
considerable number of corruptions, especially of proper names. That lord Berners
ihould exercise much criticism upon it was perhaps not reasonably to be expected, but
t is certainly surprising that he should have let pass without correction so many mis-
akes about the names of places which must have been perfectly iamiliar to him, and
hat he sometimes even introduces corruptions of such names, which were not in his
French text. For example, he has not only acquiesced in the reading * Poictou,* or as
le calls it * Poyters,' for * Ponthieu ' in the letters patent of vol. i. ch. 24, where he must
mrely have known that Ponthieu and Montreuil were the places spoken of, but he has
ictually changed * Ponthieu ' into Poictou in some other places, e.g. i. 247, where the
lame occurs in connexion with the towns of Abbeville, Saint-Valery and Crotoy, with
he position of which the captain of Calais must certainly have been well acquainted,
rhe case is much the same with the English names. In a few cases he has made
x)rrections : he rightly gives *Shene' for *Renes* (i. 314), 'Brendwode' (Brentwood)
'or * Brehoude ' (ii. 200), and * Edenborowe * for * Haindebourg,' and he has sometimes
jiven the names of well-known English feimilies in a more correct form ; but these cases
u'e rather the exception. * Mombray * for * Mowbray ' must surely be a misprint, but
'Pennefort' and *Penbruges' for 'Pembroke,' *Canoll' for 'Knolles,' *Caurell'for
' Calverley,' * Quenfort * for * Oxford,* * Volengy ' and * Bouligney * for * Buckingham ' (a
3ad case, for the person in question is Thomas of Woodstock, the translator's ancestor)
ind many others, are forms which an Englishman who had any knowledge of the history
night be expected to correct ; and such names as * He of Vbyque' for * Isle of Wight,'
' Brendpest for 'Kent, Essex,' *Aude' for 'Tweed,' 'Germeney' for * Yarmouth,'
leed not have been left urfreformed. There are also cases in which the translator has
nade matters worse by unfortunate attempts at correction, as where he writes * Hull '
"or * HeuUe ' (ii. 239), the correction required being * Henley.' His attempts to correct
he text where proper names are not involved are even less successful, as will be
leen in the notes to this edition.
As the copyists of the manuscripts often thought themselves at liberty to abridge the
P'rench text, so the translator still further abridges in his version. As an example of
he extent to which this double process is sometimes carried we may take the description
)f the English order before the battle of Poitiers. The ftiU text of the second redaction
is given from the best MSS. in Lettenhove's edition (vol. v. p. 411) is as follows : —
En ces parolles que Ii rois de France disoit et monstroit k ses gens pour yaus enco-
agier, revinrent Ii iiii chevalier dessus nommet, et fendirent le presse et s'arrest^rent devant
e roy. \A estoient Ii connestable de France et Ii doi marescal et grant fuison de bonne
Jievalerie, tout venu et arrest^ pour savoir comment on se combateroit. Li rois demanda
15 dessus dis tout en hault : * Signeur, queles de vos nouvelles ? ' II respondirent : ' Sire,
x>nnes ; si ar6s hui, se il plaist k Dieu, une belle joum6e sus vos ennemis. ' ' Tele I'esp^rons-
lous k avoir par le grasce de Dieu,' ce respondi Ii rois. 'Or nous dittes le mani^re de
eur convenant et comment nous les porons combatre. ' Adont respondi messires Eustasses
ie Ribeumont, sicom je fui enform^s, pour tous ; car 11 Ten avoient pryet et cargiet, et
list ensi : ' Sire, nous avons veu et consid6r6 vos ennemis : si poeent estre par estimation
i"* hommes d'armes, iiii™ arciers et xvc brigans.' * Et comment gisent-il?' dist Ii rois.
Sire,' respondi messires Eustasses, 'il sont en trfe-fort liu, et ne poons veoir, ne imaginer
|u'il n'aient fait que une bataille ; mfes trop bellement et trop sagement I'ont il ordonn6,
Jt ont pris le lone d'un chemin fortefyet malement de haies et de buissons, et ont vesti
:elle haie, d'une part et d'aultre, de leurs arciers, telement que on ne poet entrer, ne
Aevaucier en leur chemin, fors que parmi yaus : si convient-il aler celle voie, se on les
XX THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
voet combatre. En celle haie n'a que une seule cntr^ et issue, oil espoir iiii hommes
d'armes. ensi que ou cbemin, poroient chevaucier de fronch. Au coron de celle haie, entre
vignes et espines. ou on ne poet aler, ne chevaucier, sont leurs gens d'armes, tout & jnet, f^
et ont mis leurs gens d'armes tout devant yaus, leurs arciers k mani^ d'une herce : doot
c'est trop sagement ouvr^, ce nous samble, car qui vodra ou pora venir par £ut d'armes
jusques k yaus, il n'i entera nullement, fors que parmi ces arciers, qui ne seront mies l^ier
k desconfire.'
The text of the above passage in V^rard's edition, from which the translation was
made, is this : —
En ce p>oint revindrent les trois nobles chevaliers dessus nommez, Usguelx fendiraU U
presse et approch^rent le roy, qui leur demanda des nouvelles. Messire Eustace de Riboa-
mont si respondit j)Our tous, car ses compaignons Ten avoient prii^ et dist : ' Sire, nous
avons regard^ les Anglois, si peuvent bien estre par estimacion deux mille bonmies d'armes,
quatre mille arcbiers et quinze cens brigans. Si sont en ung tres fort Ueu, et ne povons
ymaginer quilz ayent fait que une bataille. Mais moult saigement I'ont ordonn^ et ont
prins le long du chemin fortiffi^ durement de haye et de buyssons, et ont vestue ceUe haye
d'une (>artie de leurs arcbiers tellement qu'on ne peut entrer ne chevaucher en leur ch^*™^"
fors que parmv eulx. Si convient-il aller celle voye qui les veult combatre. En celle haye
n'a que tme senile entr^ ne yssue. oil espoir quatre hommes d'armes ainsi que au chemin
pourroyent chevaucher de front. Au bout de celle haye, entre vignes et espinest oh. Ton ne
peut aller ne chevaucher, sont leurs gens d'armes tout k pied, et ont mis tout devant eulx
leurs arcbiers en mani^ d'une herse, qui ne seroit mye legi^re chose a desconfire. '
The words in italics are those which are omitted by the translator. Altogether it
will be seen the passage is reduced to about half its original length, but it must be
noticed that it is only in the first book (that is, vol. i. chs. 1-3 17 in the English version) *
that the French text had been abridged to this extent. In the remainder of the
Chronicles the text which the translator followed was one which had been bat very
slightly shortened by omissions.
As r^ards the accuracy of the translation we must not expect a very high standard.
The translator has not, he says, followed his author word by word, and it is not port of
the plan of the present edition to correct the translation like a schoolboy's exercise.
But setting aside the cases where a deviation from the true sense is due to corruption of
the French text,^ there remain a considerable number of downright mistranslations, the
result either of carelessness or blundering. For example, he translates * despecer les
chauss^es ' into * cut short their kirtles * (i. 80) ; * povres gens Tamonterent premiere-
ment, et meschans gens le tu^rent en le parfin,* * poor men first mounteth up, and un-
happy men slayeth them at the end' (i. 1 1 5); Me roy de JFrance les avoit advancez,'
* tne French kine followed him ' (i. i '
king followed him ' (i. 159) ; *depuis cent ans,* *in a hundred year after*
taking' (ii. 167); * qu'on Toublia en France,' *that he forgat France '(ii. 174); * pour-
tant qu'il les avoit avancez,' * because he was advanced by their means ' (ii. 229). In
most of these cases, as in others which might be quoted, the blunders arise simply from
ignorance of French : but there are also mistakes which are due to mere carelessness,
as when he renders * unze fils ' * a son * (i. 307), and repeatedly mistranslates the names
of the days of the week, making * jeudi' * Tuesday* and *mardi' 'Wednesday* {e.g. i.
152, 220, 222). That he had no special knowledge of older French words and forms is
clear from his not understanding such words and expressions as *esclistre,* *juper,' *se
1 Without reference to the translator's French ally suppose that * the fourthpart ' in ch. 382 (where
text it is impoiuble to say for certain in any single the true reading of the French is ' les quatre
"^ imKb/tx the mistake is that of the transla- pars '^ must be a mistake of the same kind. In
'^ To take a nngle example : die reader, this instance, however, he would be wrong, for
d b vol i. ch. %Zx the words ' bien les the translator's French text gave here ' la quarte
--vtll^ed 'the uird part,' would natur* part'
INTRODUCTION xxl
deviser,' * jangle,* *se delivrer de' (ii. 153), *se clore' (ii. 197). On the whole it must
be concluded that lord Berners had an insufficient knowledge of the language which he
undertook to translate and was not a sound French scholar even judged by the standard
of his own time, and we have already noticed the humility with which he speaks of his
own attainments. At the same time it may be observed that in several passages he has
given a more correct rendering than his modern competitor. For example in i. 325,
where Johnes says : * The queen was not very far advanced in pregnancy ; but the
doctors had forbidden her bathing,' etc., Berners more rightly gives : * The queen being
in childbed was not well at ease, and her physicians had defended her in any wise
that she should not enter into no bain.' Again, in i. 403 Johnes has this : * But some
imagine the king would not have interfered in the matter, if it had not been for the
intrigues of the duke of Burgundy ; for if nothing had been done, he would have annexed
Flanders to the crown of France by some means or other ; for the earl of Flanders was
not enough in his fevour to induce him to exert himself in his aid.' Nothing could be
much worse than this either as regards correctness or style, while Berners is both
accurate and spirited : * But some thought that if king Charles had lived still till that
time, that he would have done nothing, and if he had, men supposed that he would
thereby [have] annexed the county of Flanders to the crown of France : for the earl of
Flanders was not so well in his grace that he would have done anything for him, without
he had well known why.* Finally: * If the Turks and Tartars have frequently hurt
Christendom, the Genoese felt it not,' where Berners correctly gives : *The Turks and
Tartars should do much damage to Christendom, if the Genoways were not ' (ii. 40).
A few more passages might be added, but certainly not enough to justify the remark
which has been made, that the older version is the more accurate as well as the more
spirited of the two.
The English style of lord Berners is partly correspondent to the looseness of transla-
tion which has been noticed. It has no claim whatever to purity or accuracy, and the
manner of expression is often intolerably careless. Sentences are begun, broken off,
begun again, and after all never ended ; verbs are left without subjects and relatives
without antecedents : grammatically the style is often hopeless ; it is the style of a man
who has not sufficient command over the language in which he writes to express clearly
that which he means to say, who struggles with a material of which he is not master.
Let us take a few examples out of many of this formlessness of style, to justify that which
has been said, and the sentences quoted may serve also as specimens of the spelling
used in the original edition : —
• And whan these knightes and other men of armes knewe the wyll and answere of king
Dapeter, wherby they reputed hym right orgulus and presumptuous, and made all the hast
thqr myght to auaunce, to do hym all the hurte they coulde. So they all passed, ' etc. (i. 229).
• Ye haue harde right well here before, howe the kyng of Nauer, who hadde to his
wyfe the frenche kynges suster, for the loue of the one and of the other, it was sayd and
purposed, that the herytage of the chyldren of the kyng of Nauer, the whiche was fallen
to them by the ryght of their mother, y* the french kyng their vncle, by the succession of
Ids suster, ought to haue power therof in name of the chyldren, seyng the chyldren were in
his kepjmge, wherby all the lande that the kynge of Navcr held in Normandy shulde be in y©
ftench kjrnges hand, as long as his nephewes were within age. Of all these maters, ' etc. (i. 327 ).
• For ye knowe howe the puissaunce of the prince of Wales and of Acquitayne put
kynge don Peter, your cosyn, into possession of all these herytages and landes closed within
^3ayne, and afterwarde by a journey of batayle y* don Henry had at Nauntuell agaynst don
Peter, who there loste all agayne, and don Henry put in possession as he was before ' (ii. 33).
' It can nat be said but that the knightes of Fraunce, of Bretayne, of Burgoyne and of
Byeme, but that * right valiantly ft)ught ' (ii. 34).
• Ye haue well herde here before how sir Peter of Craon, who was a knyght of great
tioD
1 The omission of ' they ' is not an accident or a misprint, but a regular feature of the style, in imita-
perhaps of old French.
Xxil THE CHRONICLES OF PROISSAkT
' ^^^^— ^^^,^„„^^,^,^^,^^^ _ ■■■_ _ii . ^— ^.-^ - ■■■I,. ■■■■ ■■■■ aJfc
lygnage ; but he was farre out of the frenche kynges grace and the duke of Thourayns : if
he dyd so moche to cause them to be displeased with him, he dyd yvell. Ye have herde
also howe he was gone into Bretayne,' etc. (ii. i8i).
For these enormities and for many more of the same kind our translator alone is
responsible : the style of the original author is almost always lucid and fluent, and it cer-
tainly gives no excuse for the confusion and obscurity of expression which we have noted.
It is going much too far therefore to speak, as some have done, of this translation as a
model of English prose, written in a style simple and direct, but at the same time
flexible and mobile, with artistic combinations of the Romance and Teutonic elements
of the language. It has many merits, as we shall presently see, but it is not a model
of style. Nor can it be pleaded for the writer that the age had not yet learnt to express
itself clearly in prose. The generation before that of our translator had made a very
great advance ; the style of Mallory's Morte Darthur (this also a translation, or series of
translations, from the French) is excellently adapted to its purpose, and for directness
and lucidity Caxton is a far better writer than Berners.
But enough has been said of the faults of the work that is before us : it remains to
speak of its merits. The writer has the qualities of his defects. If he is not properly
speaking a man of letters, he is on that account the more familiar with courts, embassies
and statecraft. He has seen battles and taken part in the conduct of sieges, and he
knows the language of politics and of diplomacy. This, it cannot be denied, is some
qualification for translating Froissart. Again, having no formed style of his own, he is
more apt to follow the style of the original than to attempt to improve upon it : and
this is in fact his greatest merit. He has not attempted to produce an original work in
the guise of a translation : not only the matter but to a great extent the manner is that of
the original, while at the same time the English is idiomatic enough to avoid the sugges-
tion of a foreign source. It is true that under any exceptional stress his powers ofclear
expression break down, as we have seen, but ordinarily he flows along happily enough, and
gives us very often no bad reproduction of the style of Froissart. If we wish to know of
what he was capable in this matter of style when left to his own guidance, we have only to
read the preface of the translator, prefixed to the first volume of the work. It is difficult to
conceive anything more unlike the style of the translation than this stilted performance,
with its regular balance of clauses and its absurd arrangement of synonyms in triplets : e»g.
*for whan we (beynge vnexpert of chaunces) se, beholde and rede the auncyent actes, gestes
and dedes, howe and with what labours, daungers and paryls they were gested and done,
they right greatly admonest, ensigne and teche vs howe we maye lede forthe our lyues :
and farther, he that hathe the perfyte knowledge of others' ioye, welthe and highe pros-
perite, and also trouble, sorowe and great aduersite, hath thexpert doctr)me of sdl
parylles * : with much more of the same kind, in regard to which he is justly afraid
that if he should write all that he would on the subject, he should * too sore torment ' his
reader. It is, however, only the sense that he ought to write something impressive in a
good literary style that drives him to his stilts : he comes down from them as soon as he
has something practical to say, either about his reasons for translating Froissart, his
methods of naming persons, countries and cities, or his reckoning of miles and leagues.
All this he expresses in a simple conversational manner, as of one gentleman explain-
ing things to another ; and when his work of translation begins, he resigns himself
willingly to the c;uidance of his author, whose narrative he reproduces with the spirit of
one to whom it is a living drama and not an unreal pageant. It is this fresh vitality of
the stoiY, combined with the simplicity of the rendering, that constitutes the redeeming
»*• ♦^^^ ^vmalation, a merit sufficient to cover a multitude of defects. Add to this
picturesqueness of phrase, which is certainly not to be found in the
n rival, and a diction not too far removed from the time of his author,
»ith that admixture of French which had been incorporated with it
itnry, but not overloaded with new foreign importations, such as an
D^t be tempted to introduce.
INTRODUCTION xxiii
As examples of graphic and forcible expression we may take a few passages here and
there, quoting also the modem translation, not because it is specially bad, Ixit as giving
an average standard for comparison : —
• The horses whan they fell y« sharpe arowes. they wolde in no wyse go forward, but
drewe abacke, and flang and toke on so feersly, that many of them fell on their maisters '
(i. 162).
The modem rendering is : ' The horses smarting under the pain of the wounds made
by their bearded arrows, would not advance, but turned about, and by their unruliness
threw their masters.*
• Gylbert answered and sayde, Holde thy pease, fole, for whan I U7II, ^iih y« erle's
puyssance, all the whyte hattes shall be cast downe ; and suche there be that bcreth them
nowe, that here after shall haue no nede of any hatte ' (i. 349).
Johnes has : ' Gilbert repljring said : Hold thy tongue, fool ; whenever I please, with
the assistance of my lord, I can put down these white hoods ; and some of them who
now wear them will not in a short time have heads to put them on. '
Again : * [He] caste about his eyen, and the firste thynge he sawe was a Sowe, the greattest
that euer he sawe, and she semed to be so leane and 5ruell fauoured, that there was nothyng
on her but the skynne and the bones, unth long eares and a longe leane snout. The
lorde of Corasse had marueyle of that leane Sowe, and was werj- of y« sight of her, and
o5maunded his men to fetche his houndes, and sayd, Lette the dogges hunt her to dethe
and deuoiire her ' (ii. 37).
The modem translator says : ' Casting his eyes about, the first thing he observed was
an immensely large sow ; but she was so poor, she seemed only skin and bone, with long
hanging ears all spotted, and a sharp-pointed lean snout The lord de Corasse was dis-
gusted at such a sight, and calling to his servants said, I^t the dogs loose quickly, for 1
will have that sow killed and devoured.'
And finally : * The constable defended hymselfe valyauntly with that wepyn that he had ;
howebeit, his defence hadde vayled hym but lytell, and the great grace of god had nat ben ;
styll he sate on his horse tyll he had a full stroke on y« heed, with whiche stroke he fell fro
his horse ryght agaynst a bakers dore, who was vp and busy to bake breed, and had left
his dore tudfe open, whiche was happy for the constable ; for as he fell fro his horse he fell
agajrnste the dore, and the dore opened, and he fell in at the dore, and they that were a
borsebacke coulde nat entre after hjrm, the dore was to lowe and to lytell. . . . Thus syr
Oljruer of Clysson was lefte in this case, as a man halfe deed and more, in the bakers house,
who was sore abasshed whan he knewe it was the constable : as for his men, had Ijrtell
hurte, for syx Peter and his men loked for nothynge but to haue slayne the constable.
Than syr Olyuers men assembled togyther, and entred into the bakers house, and there
founde their mayster, sore hurte on the heed, and the blode rennynge downe by his vysage,
wherwith they were sore abasshed, and good cause why : there they made great com-
pla3mtes ; fjrrste they feared he had ben deed. Anone tydinges hereof came to the kynges
lodgynge, and it was sayde to the kynge, as he was goynge to his bedde : Ah, syr, we
canne nat hyde fro you the great myschiefe that is now sodenly fallen in Parys. What
myschefe is that ? quod the kynge. Syr, quod they, your constable syr Olyuer of Clisson
is slayne. Slayne, quod the k)mge ; and howe so, and who hath done that deed ? Sjrr,
quod they, we canne nat tell ; but this myschefe is fallen on hym here by in the streate of
sajrnt Kateryn. Well, quod the kynge, light vp your torches ; I will go and se hym '
(ii. 181).
' The constable parried the blows tolerably well with his short cutlass ; but his defence
would have been of no avail, if God's providence had not protected him. He kept steady
on horseback some time, until be was villanously stmck on the back part of his head,
which knocked him oflF his horse. In his fall he hit against the hatch of a baker's door,
who was already up to attend to his business and bake his bread. Having heard the
noise of horses on the causeway and high words, the baker had, fortunately for the con-
stable, half opened the hatch ; and sir Oliver, falling against it, burst it quite open and
XXIV THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSAET
rolled into the shop. Those on horseback could not follow biin» as the entrance w
neither wide nor hi^ enon^, ' and so on.
The version of Johnes is quoted in these pasages not because it deserves scor
fill treatm^it, but simply to ^lew that in all these cases, as in others which mig
he found on every p^tge, the older translator has the advantage. The wch^l doi
by Johnes was very respectable^ and he was the first to call attention to an h
portant class of manuscripts, with variations and additions which had not before be
pabHciy noticed, but we cannot doubt about the comparative merits of the two veraor
notwithstanding the superior accuracy of the later one. Let *' them that de£tnlt fini
do as the translator pra]^ them to do and endeavour to amend where need dmll b
There is no doubt that the book was popular with those to whom it was addressed, ai
that it was truly a pleasure to the noble gentlemen of England ' to se, beholde and rei
the higfae enterprises, famous actes and glorious dedes done and atchyued by their valya
aonceytours.' It has also remained among the monuments of the Englisli languag
and if not exactly a ma^erpiece, it has seined nevertheless more succes^d than ai
other version in rendering the charm and amplidty of the original text.
THE FIRST VOLUME
[gnnett) the Uvfit
opsoact; of rljc ccon^clES of c£nff=
i&ortjiiUfllE, =icotlflnac, !&ccraPiiE,
0 iiftfopnyiigf. 'tCriiufllatea out of
nidi EiifflpflsljE toiiffc li)> 3!oi)flii
„..,..., — _. , tit £f ciUL'S : at rlje comaiintiE:
ncnt o£ ouce nioost ijitjlje ccOotitca jjotiEtajnc
lorOe fepng; il?enrp tije biff., kgng of
(Enfflanne anO of Jfi'aiiiitc aiiU Ijifflj Oc--
fciiDEC of tljc tfjristcn fftptijE, etc.
THE PREFACE OF JOHN BOURCHIER, KNIGHT,
LORD BERNERS,
TRANSLATOR OF THIS PRESENT CHRONICLE
What condign graces and thanks ought men to give to the writers of histories,
who with their great labours have done so much profit to the human Hfe.
They shew, open, manifest and declare to the reader by example of old
antiquity, what we should enquire, desire and follow, and ^so what we should
eschew, avoid and utterly fly ; for when we (being unexpert of chances) see,
behold and read the ancient acts, gests and deeds, how and with what labours,
dangers and perils they were gested and done, they right greatly admonish,
ensign and teach us how we may lead forth our lives : and farther, he that
hath the perfect knowledge of others' joy, wealth and high prosperity, and also
trouble, sorrow and great adversity, hath the expert doctrine of all perils.
And albeit that mortal folk are marvellously separated both by land and water,
and right wondrously situate, yet are they and their acts (done peradventure
by the space of a thousand year) compact together by the histographier, as it
were the deeds of one self city and in one man's life : wherefore I say that
history may well be called a divine providence ; for as the celestial bodies
above complect all and at every time the universal world, the creatures therein
contained and all their deeds, semblably so doth history. Is it not a right
noble thing for us, by the faults and errors of other to amend and erect our
life into better ? We should not seek and accjuire that other did ; but what
thing was most best, most laudable and worthily done, we should put before
our eyes to follow. Be not the sage counsels of two or three old fathers in a
city, town or country, whom long age hath made wise, discreet and prudent,
far more praised, lauded and dearly loved than of the young men? How
much more then ought histories to be commended, praised and loved, in
whom is included so many sage counsels, great reasons and high wisdoms of
so innumerable persons of sundry nations and of every age, and that in so long
space as four or five hundred year. The most profitable thing in this world
for the institution of the human life is history. Once the continual reading
♦*••<!«>£ maketh young men equal in prudence to old men, and to old fathers
'o age It ministereth experience of things. More, it yieldeth private
nmy of dignity, rule and governance : it compelleth the emperors,
' and ^overnours to do noble deeds, to the end they may obtain
ory : it exciteth, moveth and stirreth the strong, hardy warriors,
laud that they have after they ben dead, promptly to go in hand
»d hard perils in defence of their country : and it prohibiteth
rsoii9 to do mischievous deeds, for fear of infamy and shame.
PREFACE OF LORD BERNERS xxix
So thus through the monuments of writing, which is the testimony unto virtue
many men have been moved, some to build cities, some to devise and estab-
blish laws right profitable, necessary and behoveful for the human life, some
other to find new arts, crafts and sciences, very requisite to the use of man-
kind. But above all things, whereby man's wealth riseth, special laud and
cause ought to be given to history : it is the keeper of such things as have
been virtuously done, and the witness of evil deeds, and by the benefit of
history all noble, high and virtuous acts be immortal. What moved the strong
and fierce Hercules to enterprise in his life so many great incomparable
labours and perils .? Certainly nought else but that for his merit immortality
might be given to him of all folk. In semblable wise did his imitator, noble
duke Theseus, and many other innumerable worthy princes and famous men,
whose virtues ben redeemed from oblivion and shine by history. And whereas
other monuments in process of time by variable chances are confused and
lost, the virtue of history, diffused and spread through the universal world,
hath to her custos and keeper it (that is to say, time) which consumeth the
other writings. And albeit that those men are right worthy of great laud and
praise, who by their writings shew and lead us the way to virtue, yet never-
theless the poems, laws and other acts that they found, devised and writ ben
mixed with some damage, and sometime for the truth they ensign a man to
lie ; but only history, truly with words representing the acts, gests and deeds
done, complecteth all profit : it moveth, stirreth and compelleth to honesty ;
detesteth, irketh and abhorreth vices ; it extoUeth, enhanceth and lifteth up
such as ben noble and virtuous ; depresseth, poistereth and thrusteth down
such as ben wicked, evil and reprovable. What knowledge should we have of
ancient things past, an history were not, which is the testimony thereof, the
light of truth, the mistress of the life human, the president of remembrance
and the messenger of antiquity ? Why moved and stirred Phalerius the king
Ptolemy oft and diligently to read books ? Forsooth for none other cause,
but that those things are found written in books that the friends dare not shew
to the prince. Much more I would fain write of the incomparable profit of
history, but I fear me that I should too sore torment the reader of this my
preface ; and also I doubt not but that the great utility thereof is better known
than 1 could declare ; wherefore 1 shall briefly come to a point. Thus, when I
advertised and remembered the manifold commodities of history, how bene-
ficial it is to mortal folk, and eke how laudable and meritorious a deed it is
to write histories, fixed my mind to do something therein : and ever when this
imagination came to me, I volved, turned and read many volumes and books
containing famous histories ; and among all other I read diligently the four
volumes or books of sir John Froissart of the country of Hainault, written in
the French tongue, which 1 judged conmiodious, necessary and profitable to
be had in English, sith they treat of the famous acts done in our parts, that is
to say, in England, France, Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Bretayne, Flanders and
other places adjoining ; and specially they redound to the honour of English-
men. What pleasure shall it be to the noble gentlemen of England to see,
behold and read the high enterprises, famous acts and glorious deeds done
and achieved by their valiant ancestors ? Forsooth and God, this hath moved
me at the high commandment of my most redoubted sovereign lord king
Henry the VI II., king of England and of France, and high defender of the
Christian faith, etc., under his gracious supportation, to do my devoir to trans-
late out of French into our maternal English tongue the said volumes of sir
XXX THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
John Froissart ; which chronicle beginneth at the reign of the most noble and
valiant king Edward the third, the year of our Lord a thousand three hundred
and twenty-six,^ and continueth to the beginning of the reign of king Henry
the fourth, the year of our Lord God a thousand and four hundred ; the space
between is threescore and fourteen years ; requiring all readers and hearers
thereof to take this my rude translation in gre. And in that I have not followed
mine author word by word, yet I trust I have ensued the true report of the
sentence of the matter ; and as for the true naming of all manner of person-
ages, countries, cities, towns, rivers or fields, whereas I could not name them
properly nor aptly in English, I have written them according as I found them
in French ; and though I have not given every lord, knight or squire his true
addition, yet I trust I have not swerved from the true sentence of the matter.
And thereas I have named the distance between places by miles and leagues,
they must be understood according to the custom of the countries whereas
they be named, for in some place they be longer than in some other : in Eng-
land a league or mile is well known ; in France a league is two miles, and in
some places three ; and in other country is more or less : every nation hath
sundry customs. And if any fault be in this my rude translation, I remit the
correction thereof to them that discreetly shall find any reasonable default ;
and in their so doing 1 shall pray God to send them the bliss of heaven. —
Amen.
IT ^Su0 en&etlj tl)e preface of 0ir 3|ol)an Bourctfer, iwiifftt,
lor&e Bernew, tran^latour of t^ijaf present cronpcle: airt
terafter folotoetl) tl)e table,^ toi'tl) all tfte cjapfterjaf asf t^ep
sftanUe in tfte bofee in orHer, from one to four fiunHreli, l^lxXz
ana one, tol)ict)e be in number <^<^<^<^ anH HI ctapiterjs^
I A correction of * sixteen.' _ and instead of it a table Is given above of the pages
'.! The table of chapters is omitted in this edition, in the present volume.
THE
CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
CHAPTER I sometime canon in Saint Lambert's of
Liege, who with good heart and due dili-
Here beginneth the prologue of sir John gen^e did his true devoir in writing this
Froissart of the Chronicles of France, ^oble chronicle, and did continue it all his
England and other places adjoining. ufg^s days, in following the truth as near
To the intent that the honourable and ^ ^^ ^^^^: ^9. ^'^ f'^^^ ^>^g? ^"^,^°^^
\.i J X rr 4. r^j« a ^^ seekmg to have the perfect knowledge
"°K-* ''f t r' f v^-f'jiH F^ thereof. He was also ^ his life's days
achieved by the wars of France and E„g ^ell beloved and of the secret council wiih
land, should notably be enregistered and ^^^^ j ^ ^ j^„ ^ Hainault, who is
put in p«petual memory, whereby the prewe ^ remembered, as reason requireth.
ai,d hardy may have ensample to encourage ^ ^ j^ ^^ ^^ ^ f ^ j ^
them in their well-domg, I, sir John Frois- ^, ^d^g„,„^ ^^ ^^ ,hief causer, and
sart. wUl treat and record an lustonr of ^y whose means the said sir John le Bel
great louage and praise. But or I b^n J. ^ „ ^ ^ ^ ^ J j
I requue the Saviour of all the world, who f , . , , , . , hereafter shall he
of nothing created aU things, duU he wUl JX^^^Vmh It fs tK who ha^
give me such grace aJidundereton<^^ing.tha^ enterprised this book to ordain for pleasure
I may contmue and persevere m such wise, j*^. **i. u-ui tu
that whoso this procks readeth or heareth »»'* P?«'?"~' ^° Ae wh'ch always I have
» 1 . __. „i„,..„ —J — o_~„i. been inchned, and for that intent I have
may take pastancepl^ure and e^^^^ ^ and frequented the company of
It is said of truth that all buildmgs are ^.^^^^ ^^^j^ and great lords, as well in
masoned and wrought of divers stones, ^^ ^^ ,^^^ ^^^ Scotland, as in divers
and all great nvers are gurged and as- ^^^^^ countries, and have had knowledge
sembled of divers surges and springs of ^ ^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^ j^^^^
water ; m likewise all sciences are extraught j,^^^ enquired for the truth of the deeds of
andcompiled of divers clerks; of that one ^^^ and adventures that have fallen, and
wnteth, another peradventure is ignorant ; especially sith the great battle of Poitiers,
bjjt by the famous wnting of ancient authors ^f^reas the noble king John of France
dl things ben knowTi m one place or other. ^^^ ^^^^ prisoner, as before that time I
Then to attain to the matter that I have ^^ ^^^ ^^ ^ ^^ understanding. ^
enterprised, I will begin first by the grace ^ & & &
of God and of the blessed Virgin our Lady ^ ^^j^ extraordinary sentence does not at all re-
Saint Mary, from whom all comiort and present the original, which may be thus translated :
consolation proceedeth, and will take my * True it is that I who have enterprised to set in
foundation out of the true chronicles some- o'^<ie^ this book, have for pleasure, which hath
»uu«...<w^ . , ever inchned me thereto, frequented the company
tinae compiled by the right reverend, j,f divers noble and great lords, as well in France
discreet and sage master John le Bel, as England, Scotland and other countries, and
B ffi
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Howbeit, I took on me, as soon as I came
from school, to write and recite the said
book,^ and bare the same compiled into
England, and presented the volume thereof
to my lady Philippa of Hainault, noble
queen of England, who right amiably
received it to my great profit and advance-
ment. And it may be so that the same
book is not as yet examined nor corrected
so justly as such a case requireth ; for feats
of arms dearly bought and achieved, the
honour thereof ought to be given and truly
divided to them that by prowess and hard
travail have deserved it. Therefore to
acquit me in that behalf, and in following
the truth as near as I can, I, John Froissart,
have enterprised this history on the foresaid
ordinance and true foundation, at the
instance and request of a dear lord of mine,
Robert of Namur, knight, lord of Beaufort,
to whom entirely I owe love and obeisance,
and God grant me to do that thing that
may be to his pleasure. Amen.
CHAPTER II
Here speaketh the author of such as were
most valiant knights to be made mention
of in this book.
All noble hearts to encourage and to shew
them ensample and matter of honour, I,
sir John Froissart, begin to spe.ik after
the true report and relation of my master
John le Bel, sometime canon of Saint-
Lambert's of Liege, affirming thus, how
that many noble persons have ofttimes
spoke of the wars of France and of England,
and peradventure knew not justly the truth
thereof, nor the true occasions of the first
movings of such wars, nor how the war at
have had acquaintance with them. So I have
always to my power justly enquired and demanded
of the wars and adventures,' etc. The translation
given by Johnes is equally incorrect.
1 The better reading is, * k rimer et k ditter les
guerres dessus dites.' The translator seems to
think that the book presented to queen Philippa
was a first edition of this history ; but Froissart
draws a distinction between that book (which may
probably have been in verse) and the present work,
imdertaken at the instance of Robert of Namur.
Lower down, where the translator has, * it may be
so that the same book is not as yet examined nor
corrected so justly as such a case requireth,' the
author meant to say that perhaps that book was
~^ so carefully composed as it should have been.
length continued : but now I trust ye shall
hear reported the true foundation of the
cause, and to the intent that I will not
forget, minish or abridge the history in
anything for default of language, but rather
I will multiply and increase it as near as I
can, following the truth from point to point,
in speaking and shewing all the adventures
sith the nativity gf the noble king Edward
the III., who reigned king of England and
achieved many perilous adventures, and
divers great battles addressed, and other
feats of arms of great prowess sith the year
of our Lord God Mcccxxvi., that this
noble king was crowned in England : for
generally such as were with him in his
battles and happy fortunate adventures,
or with his people in his absence, ought
right well to be taken and reputed for
valiant and worthy of renown ; and though
there were great plenty of sundry person-
ages that ought to be praised and reputed
as sovereigns, yet among other and princi-
pally ought to be renowned the noble
proper person of the foresaid gentle king,
also the prince of Wales his son, the duke
of Lancaster, sir Raynold lord Cobham,
sir Gaultier of Manny ^ of Hainault, knight,
sir John Chandos, sir Franck of Hale and
divers other, of whom is made mention
hereafter in this present book because of
their valiant prowess ; for in all battles
that they were in, most commonly they had
ever the renown, both by land and by sea,
according to the truth. They in all their
deeds were so valiant that they ought to
be reputed as sovereigns in all chivalry ;
yet for all that, such other as were in their
company ought not to be of the less value
or less set by. Also in France in that time
there were found many good knights,
strong and well expert in feats of arms ; for
the realm of France was not so discomfited
but that always there were people sufficient
to fight withal, and the king Philip of
Valois was a right hardy and a valiant
knight, and also king John his son, Charles
the king of Bohemia,^ the earl of Alen9on,
the earl of Foix, sir Saintr6, sir Arnold
1 The form 'Manny' for 'Mauny' is retained
throughout.
2 The king of Bohemia is called Charles by
Froissart, but his name was in fact John. In his
latest redaction (Vat. MS.) Froissart states when
relating the battle of Crecy that he was rebaptized
as Charles.
PKEDECESSOJIS OF EDWARD III.
3
[d'Audiehem, sir Bouciquaut, sir Guichatd]
d' Angle, the lards of Beaiiieu, the father
and the sun, and divers other, the which
I can not their names, of whom hereafter
right well shall be made mention in time
and place convenient to say the truth and
to maintain the same. All such as in cruel
hattles have been seen abiding to the
discomfiture, sufficiently doing Iheir devoir,
may well he reputed for valiant and hardy,
whatsoever was their adventure.
CHAPTER III
Here the matter speaketh of some of (he
predecessors of king Edward of England.
First, the belter to enter into the matter
of this honourable and pleasant history of
Ihe noble Edward king of England, who
■was crowned at London the year of our
Lord God Mcccxxvi., on Christmas-
day, living the Iting his father and the queen
his mother, it is certain that the opinion of
Englishmen most commonly was as then, and
oftentimes it was seen in England after the
time of king Arthur, how that between two
valiant kings of England there was most
commonly one between them of less
sufficiency both of wit and of prowess : and
this was right welt apparent by the same
king Edward the third ; for his grand-
father, called the good king Edward the
first, was right valiant, sage, wise and harily,
Bdventuroua and fortunate in all feats of
war, and had much ado against the Scots,
and conquered them three or four times ;
for the Scots could never have victory nor
endure against him : and after his decease
his son of his first wife, who was fiither to
the said good king Edward the third, was
crowned king and called Edward the second,
who resembled nothing to his father in wit
nor in prowess, but governed and kept his
realm right wildly, and ruled himself by
anisler counsel of certain persons, whereby
at tengtli he had no profit nor land, as ye
shall hear after ; for aron after he was
crowned, Robert Bruce king of Scotland,
who had often before given much ado to the
said good king Edward the iirst, conquered
again all Scotland, and brent and wasted a
g'eit pari of the realm of England, a four
or five days' journey within the realm at two
times, and discomfited the king and all the
barons of England at a place in Scotland
called Stirling, by battle arranged the day
of Saint John Boplist, in the seventh year
of the reign of the same king Edward, in
the year of our Lord MCCCKIV. The
chase of this discomfiture endured two days
and two nights, and the king of England
went with a small company to London :
and on mid-lent Sunday in the year of our
Lord Mcccxvi. the Scots won again the
city of Berwick by treason ,' but because
this is no part of our matter, I will leave
speaking thereof.
CHAPTER IV
Here mine nuihor maltelh mention of [he
parent of Uiis good king Edward the
third.
This king Edward the second, father to
the noble king Edward the third, had two
brethren, the one called [the earl] marshal,
who was light wild and diverse of condi-
tions, the other called sir Edmund earl
of Kent, right wise, amiable, gentle and
well beloved with all people. This king
Edward the second was married to Isabel,
the daughter of Philip le Beau king of
France, who was one of the fairest ladies
of the world. The king had by her two
sons and two daughters. The first son
was the noble and hardy king Edward the
third, of whom this history is begun. The
second was named John, and died young.
The first of the daughters was called Isabel,
married to the young king David of Scot-
land, son to king Robert de Brace, married
in her tender yongth by the accord of both
realms of England and Scotland for to
make perfect peace. The other daughter
was married to the earl Raynold, who
after was caDed duke of Gueldres, and he
had by her two sons, Raynold and Edward,
who after reigned in great puissance.
CHAPTER V
Hereafter beginneth the occasion whereby
the war moved between the kings ol
France and England.
Now sheweth the history that this Philip
'" Beau king of France had three sons and
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
a fair daughter named Isabel, married into
England to king Edward the second ; and
these three sons, the eldest named Louis,
who was king of Navarre in his father's
days and was called king Louis Rutin, the
second had to name Philip the Great or the
Long, and the third was called Charles;
and all three were kings of France after
their father's decease by right succession
each after other, without having any issue
male of their bodies lawfully begotten.
So that after the death of Charles, last
king of the three, the twelve peers and
all the barons of France would not give
the realm to Isabel the sister, who was
queen of England, because they said and
maintained, and yet do, that the realm of
France is so noble that it ought not to go
to a woman, and so consequently to Isabel,
nor to the king of England her eldest son :
for they determined the son of the woman
to have no right nor succession by his
mother, since they declared the mother
to have no right : so that by these reasons
the twelve peers and barons of France by
their common accord did give the realm of
France to the lord Philip of Valois, nephew
sometime to Philip le Beau king of France,
and so put out the queen of England and
her son, who was as the next heir male, as
son to the sister of Charles, last king of
France. Thus went the realm of France
out of the right lineage, as it seemed to
many folk, whereby great wars hath moved
and fallen, and great destructions of people
and countries in the realm of France and
other places, as ye may hereafter [see].
This is the very right foundation of this
history, to recount the great enterprises
and great feats of arms that have fortuned
and fallen. Sith the time of the good
Charlemagne king of France there never
fell so great adventures.
CHAPTER VI
Of the earl Thomas of Lancaster and
twenty-two other of the great lords and
knights of England, that were beheaded.
The foresaid king Edward the second,
father to the noble king Edward the
third, on whom our matter is founded,
♦iis said king governed right diversely his
realm by the exhortation of sir Hugh
Spencer, who had been nourished with
him sith the beginning of his yongth ; the
which sir Hugh had so enticed the king,
that his &ther and he were the greatest
masters in all the realm, and by envy
thought to surmount all other barons of
England; whereby after the great dis-
comfiture that the Scots had made at
Stirling great murmuring there arose in
England between the noble barons and
the king's council, and namely against sir
Hugh Spencer. They put on him that
by his counsel they were discomfited, and
that he was favourable to the king of
Scots. And on this point the barons
had divers times communication together,
to be advised what they might do, whereof
Thomas earl of Lancaster, who was uncle
to the king, was chief. And anon when sir
Hugh Spencer had espied this, he pur-
veyed for remedy, for he was so great
with the king and so near him, that he
was more beloved with the king than all
the world after. So on a day he came to
the king and said, *Sir, certain lords of
your realm have made alliance together
against you, and without ye take heed
thereto betimes, they purpose to put you
out of your realm ' : and so by his mali-
cious means he caused that the king made
all the said lords to be taken, and their
heads to be stricken off without delay,
and without knowledge or answer to any
cause. First of all sir Thomas earl of
Lancaster, who was a noble and a wise,
holy knight, and hath done sith many
fair miracles in Pomfiret, where he was
beheaded, for the which deed the said
sir Hugh Spencer achieved great hate in
all the realm, and specially of the queen
and of the earl of Kent, brother to the
king. And when he perceived the dis-
pleasure of the queen, by his subtle wit
he set great discord between the king and
the queen, so that the king would not see
the queen nor come in her company, the
which discord endured a long space. Then
was it shewed to the queen secretly and to
the earl of Kent, that without they took good
heed to themselves, they were likely to be
destroyed, for sir Hugh Spencer was about
to purchase much trouble to them. Then
the queen secretly did purvey to go into
France, and took her way as on pilgrim-
THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND IN FRANCE, 1326
5
age 10 Saint Thomas of Canterbury, and
so lo Winchelsea, and in ihe lught went
into a ship that was ready for her, and her
yoang son Edwacd wilii lier, and the earl
of Kent and sir Ri^er Mortjmer, and in
another ship they had put all their purvey-
ance, and had wind at will, and the next
morning they ariived in the haven of
Boulogne.
CHAPTER Vn
How the queen of England went and com-
plained her to the king of France het
brotho- of sir Hugh Spencer.
When queen Isabel was arrived at Bou-
logne, and het son with her and the earl
of Kent, the t^ptains and abbot of the
(own came against her and joyously re-
ceived her and her company into the
abbey, and there she abode two days :
then she departed and rode so long by
her journeys that she arrived at Paris.
Then king Charles het brother, who was
informed of her laming, sent to meet het
divers of the greatest lords of his realm,
as the lord sir Robert de Artois, the
lord of Coucy, the lord of Sully, the
lord of Rove and divers other, who
honourably did receive het and brought
het into the city of Paris to the king her
brother. And when the king saw Ms
sister, whom he had not seen long before,
as she should have entered into bis chamber
he met her and look her in his arms and
kiised het, and said, 'Ye be welcome,
fair sister, with my fair nephew your son,'
and look them by the hands and led them
lorth. The queen, who had no great joy
at her heart but that she was so near to tbe
king her brother, she would have kneeled
down two or three times at the feet of the
king, but the king would not suffer her,
hut held her still by the right hand, de-
manding right sweetly of her estate and
btisinesa. And she answered him ri||ht
sagelvt and lamentably recounted to him
all the felonies and injuries done to her
by sir Hugh Spencer, and required him
of his aid and comfort. When the noble
king Cbarles of France had heard his
Siler's lamentation, who weepingly had
..jdiewed bim all her need and business,
he said to het : ' Fait sister, appease your-
self, for by the faith I uwe to God and to
Saint Denis I shall right well purvey for
you some remedy.' The queen then
kneeled down, whether the king would
or not, and said ; ' My right dear lord
and fair brother, I pray God reward you.'
The king then took her in his atras and
led her into another chamber, the which
was appatelled fot het and fot the young
Edwatd her son, and so depatted from
her, and caused at his costs and chatges
all things to be deliveted that was behoveful
fot her and for het son. Aftet it was not
long, but that for this occasion Charles
king of France assembled together many
great lords and barons of the realm of
France, lo have their counsel and good
advice how they should ordain for the
need and beaynes of his sister queen of
England. Then it was counselled to the
king that he should let the queen his sister
to purchase for herself friends, whereas
she would, in the realm of France or in
any other place, and himself to feign and
be not known thereof; for they said, to
move war with the king of England, and
to bring Ms own realm into hatred, it were
nothing appertinent nor profitable to him
nor to his realm. But they concluded that
conveniently he might aid bet with gold
and silver, for thnt is the metal whereby
love is attained both of gentlemen and of
poor soldiers. And to this counsel and
advice accorded the king, and caused this
to be shewed to the queen privily by sir
Robert d'Artols, who as iHen was one of the
greatest lords of all France.
CHAPTER VIII
Now let us speak somewhat of sir Hugh
Spencer. When he saw that he had drawn
the king of England so much to his will,
that he could desire nothing of him but it
was granted, he caused many noblemen
and other la be put to death without
justice or law, because he held them
suspect to be against him ; and by his pride
he did so many marvels, that the barons
that were left alive in the land could I
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
\
l)car nor suffer it any longta, but they
besought and required each other amooc
thenuelvcs to be of a peaceable accord, and
caused it secretly to be known to the
queen theic lady, who had been as then at
Paris lie space of lliree year, certifying
her by writing, that if she could find the
rnenos to have any company of men of arms,
if it were but to the number of a thousand,
and to bring her son and heir with her into
England, that then they would all draw lo
her and obey her and her son Edward, a3
they were bound todoofduty. Theseletters
thus sent secretly to her out of England,
she shewed them to king Charles her
brother, who answered her and said: ' Fair
sister, God be your aid, your business shall
avail niucli the better. Take of tny
and subjects to the oumbet thai your friends
have written you for, and I consent well to
thLi voyage. I shall cause to be delivered
unto you gold and silver as much as shall
suffice you,' And in this matter the queen
bad done so much, what with her prayer,
gills and promises, that many great lords
and young knights were of her accord, as
to bring her with great strength again into
England. Then thequeen, assecretlyasstie
could, she ordained for her voyage and
made her purveyance ; but she could not
do it so secretly but sir Hugh Spencer
had knowledge thereof. Then he thought
to win and withdraw the king of France
tirom her by great gids, and so sent secret
messengers into France with ^eat plenty
of gold and silver and rich jewels, and
speciatly to the king and his privy council,
and did so much that in short space the
king of France and all his privy council
were as cold to help the queen in her voyage
as Ihev had before great desire lo do it.
And the king brake all that voyage, and
defended every person in his realm on pain
of banishing the same, that none should be
so hardy to go with the queen to bring her
^^n into England.
And yet the said sir Hugh Spencer
advised him of more malice, and lie-
thougbt bim how he might get again
the queen into England, to be under the
lung's danger and his. Then he caused
the king lo write lo the holy father the
pope anecluously, de^ng him that he
would smd and write to the king of
that he should jend the queen his
wife again into England ; for he will act
himself lo God and the world, and that iti
not his fault that she departed from hi
for he would nothing to her but all love i
good faith, such as he ought to hold
marriage. Also there were like Ictb
written to Ihe cardinals, devised by n:
subtle ways, the which all may not
written here. Also he sent gold aind si
great plenty to divers cardinals and preli
such as were most nearest and seen
with the pope, and right sage and i
ambassadors were sent on this mesi
and they led the pope in such wise by
gifts and subtle ways, that he wrote 1<
king nf France that on pain of cursing
should send his sister Isabel into Engli
lo the king her busband-
These letters were brought lo the k
of France by the bishop of Saintes, wh
the pope sent in that legation. And wl
the king had read the letters, he caui
them lo be shewed to the queen his ^
whom he had not seen of long space befoi
commanding her hastily to avoid his reah
OF else he would cause her to avoid
CHAPTER IX
How that queen Isabel departed from
When the queen heard this tidings, «
knew not what to say nor what advice-
lake ; for as then the liarons of the n
of France were withdrawn from her by 1
commandment of the king of France, H
so she had no comfort nor succour, but i
only of her dear cousin sir Robert
Artois; for he secretly did counsel (
comfort her as much as he might, for oth
wise he durst not, for the king had i
fended him. But be knew well thai {
queen was chased out of England find ■
out of France for evil will and byenvy,wlii
grieved him greatly. Thuswas sir Robert
Artois at the queen's eommandmenl j
he durst not speak nor be known tboi
for he had heard the king say andswMCt
whosoever spake lo him for the qneeo
sLsler sbould lose his lands and be btinid
the realm ; and hp knew secretly b
king was in mind and will (o ina
sister lo be taken, nnd Edward hi
QUE Elf ISABEL IN HAI^AULT
1
and the earl of Kent and sir Roger Mor-
timer, and to put them all in the hands of
the king and of sir Hugh Spencer. Where-
fore he came on a night and declared all
this to the queen, and advised her of the
peril that she was in. Then the queen was
greatly abashed, and required him all
weeping of his good counsel. Then he
said : * Madam, I counsel you that ye
depart and go into the Empire, whereas
there be many great lords, who may right
well aid you, and specially the earl Guil-
liam of Hainault and sir John of Hainault
his brother. These two are great lords
and wise men, true, drad and redoubted
of their enemies.' Then the queen caused
to be made ready all her purveyance, and
paid for everything as secretly as she
might, and so she and her son, the earl of
Kent and all her company departed from
Paris and rode toward Hainault, and so
long she rode that she came to Cambresis ;
and when she knew she was in the Empire,
she was better assured than she was before,
and so passed through Cambresis and
entered into Ostrevant in Hainault, and
lodged at Bugnicourt, in a knight's house
who was called sir d*Aubrecicourt, who
received her right joyously in the best
manner to his power, insomuch that after-
ward the queen of England and her son
had with them into England for ever the
knight and his wife and all his children,
and advanced them in divers manners.
The coming thus of the queen of England
and of her son and heir into the country of
Hainault was anon well known in the
house of the good earl of Hainault, who
as then was at Valenciennes ; and sir John
of Hainault was certified of the time
when the queen arrived at the place of sir
d'Aubrecicourt, the which sir John was
brother to the said earl Guilliam, and as
he that was young and lusty, desiring all
honour, mounted on his horse and departed
with a small company from Valenciennes,
and came the same night to Bugnicourt,
and did to the queen all honour and rever-
ence that he could devise. The queen,
who was right sorrowful, began to declare
(complaining to him right piteously) her
dolours; whereof the said sir John had
great pity, so that the water dashed in his
eyen, and said, 'Certainly, fair lady,
behold me here your own knight, who shall
not fail you to die in the quarrel. I shall
do the l)est of my power to conduct you
and my lord your son, and help to bring
you into your estates in England, by the
grace of God and with the help of your
mends in that parts : and I and such other
as I can desire shall put our lives and
goods in adventure for your sake, and shall
get men of war sufficient, if God be pleased,
without the danger of the king of France
your brother.* Then the queen would
have kneeled down for great joy that she
had, and for the good-will he offered her,
but this noble knight took her up quickly
in his arms and said : * By the grace of
God the noble queen of England shall not
kneel to me ; but, madam, recomfort your-
self and all your company, for I shall keep
you faithful promise ; and ye shall go see
the earl my brother and the countess his
wife and all their fair children, who shall
receive you with great joy, for so I heard
ihem report they would do.* Then the
queen said : * Sir, I find in you more love
and comfort than in all the world, and for
this that ye say and affirm me I thank you
a thousand times ; and if ye will do this ye
have promised in all courtesy and honour,
I and my son shall be to you for ever
bound, and will put all the realm of
England in, your abandon ; for it is right
that it so should be.* And after these
words, when they were thus accorded, sir
John of Hainault took leave of the queen
for that night, and went to Denaing and
lay in the abbey ; and in the morning after
mass he leapt on his horse and came again
to the queen, who received him with great
joy. By that time she had dined and was
ready to mount on her horse to depart with
him ; and so the queen departed from the
castle of Bugnicourt, and took leave of the
knight and of the lady, and thanked them for
their good cheer that they had made her,
and said that she trusted once to see the
time that she or her son should well re-
member their courtesy.
Thus departed the queen in the company
of the said sir John lord Beaumont, who
right joyously did conduct her to Valen-
ciennes ; and against her came many of the
burgesses of the town and received her right
humbly. Thus was she brought before the
earl Guilliam of Hainault, who received
her with great joy, and in likewise so did
s
THE CHRONICLES OF EROISSART
the countess his wife, and feasted her right
nobly. And as then this earl had four vsSx
daughters, Margaret, Philippa, Jane and
Isabel, among whom the young Edward
set most his love and company on Philippa,
and also the young lady in all honour was
more conversant with him than any of her
sisters. Thus the queen Isabel abode at
Valenciennes by the space of eight days
with the good earl and with the countess
Jane de Valois. In the meantime the
queen apparelled for her needs and busi-
ness, and the said sir John wrote letters right
affectuously unto knights and such com-
panions as he trusted best in all Hainault,
m Brabant and in Bohemia, and prayed
them for all amities that was between them,
that they would go with him in this enter-
prise into England ; and so there were
great plenty, what of one country and other,
that were content to go with him for" his
love. But this said sir John of Hainault
was greatly reproved and counselled the
contrary both of the earl his brother and of
the chief of the council of the country, be-
cause it seemed to them that the enterprise
was right high and perilous, seeing the
great discords and great hates that as then
was between the barons of England among
themselves, and also considering that these
Englishmen most commonly have ever great
envy at strangers. Therefore they doubted
that the said sir John of Hainault and his
company should not return again with
honour. But howsoever they blamed or
counselled him, the gentle knight would
never change his purpose, but said he had
but one death to die, the which was in the
will of God ; and also said that all knights
ought to aid to their powers all ladies and
damosels chased out of their own countries,
being without counsel or comfort.
CHAPTER X
How that the queen Isabel arrived in England
with sir John of Hainault in her company.
Thus was sir John of Hainault moved in his
courage and made his assembly, and prayed
the Ilainowes to be ready at Hal, and the
Brabances at Breda, and the Hollanders
to be at Dordrecht at a day Hmited.
^He queen of England took leave of
the earl of Hainault and of the countess, and
thanked them greatly of their honour, feast
and good cheer that they had made her,
kissing them at her departing. Thus this
lady departed and her son and all her
company with sir John of Hainault, who
with great pain gat leave of his brother,
saying to him : * My lord and brother, I
am young and think that God hath pur-
veyed for me this enterprise for mine
advancement. I believe and think verily
that wrongfully and sinfully this lady hath
been chased out of England, and also her
son. It is alms and glory to God and to
the world to comfort and help them that be
comfortless, and specially so high and so
noble a lady as this is, who is daughter to
a king and descended of a royal king ; we
be of her blood and she of ours. I had
rather renounce and forsake all that I have
and go serve God over the sea and never
to return into this country, rather than this
good lady should have departed from us
without comfort and help. Therefore, dear
brother, suffer me to go with your good-will,
wherein ye shall do nobly, and I shall
humbly thank you thereof, and the better
thereby I shall accomplish all the voyage.'
And when the good earl of Hainault had
well heard his brother, and perceived the
great desire that he had to his enterprise,
and saw well it might turn him and his
heirs to great honour hereafter, said to
him : * My fair brother, God forbid that
your good purpose should be broken or let :
therefore in the name of God I give you
leave* ; and kissed him, straining him by the
hand in sign of great love.
Thus he departed and rode the same
night to Mons in Hainault with the queen
of England. What should I make long
process? They did so much by their
journeys that they came to Dordrecht in
Holland, whereas their special assembly
was made. And there they purveyed for
ships great and small, such as they could
get, and shipped their horses and harness
and purveyance, and so commended them-
selves into the keeping of God and took
their passage by sea. In that company
there were of knights and lords, first sir
John of Hainault lord Beaumont, six
Henry d'Antoing, sir Michael de Ligne,
the lord of Gommegnies, sir Perceval
de Semeries, sir Robert de Bailleul, sir
I
EXPEDITION TO ENGLAND, :326
s <Je Boussoit, the lord of Verlning,
ird of Poielle. Ihc lord Villets, the
of Hennin, the lord of Sais, the
>i Bousies, the lord of Aiibrecicourl,
jrd of Estrumel, and sii Wullait of
;lles, and divers other knights and
s, all in great desire to serve their
r. And when ihey were all departed
the haven of Dordrecht, it was a fair
IS for the quantity, and well ordered,
ason was fait and clear and right
:rate, and at Iheir departing with the
lood they catne before the dikes of
nd ; and the next day they drew up
sails and took Iheir way in coasting
nd ; and their intents were to have
land at Dongport;* but they could
)r a tempest took them in the sea, that
cm so far out of their course Chat they
lot of two days where they weti
hich Cod did them greal grace, for if
bad taken land at Uie port whereas
lad thought, they had been all lost,
,ey had Tallen in the hands of theii
C5, who knew well of their coming,
bode them there to have put thetn all
Lth. So it was that about the end of
lays the tempest ceased, and the
ers perceived land in England and
to that part rieht joyously, and there
land on the sands without any right
or port at Harwich, as the English
ide saich,'the341h day of September,
;ar of our Lord MCCCXXVr., and so
on the sands three days with little
I'ance of victual, and unshipped Iheir
I and harness, nor they wist not in
part of England Ihey were in, other
; power of their friends or in the
ot their enemies. On the fourth day
ook forth their way in the adventure
hI and of Saint George, as such
: as had suffered great disease of cold
bt and hunger and great fear, whereof
I'ere not as then clean rid. And so
□de forth by hills and dales on the
>r folia w
I of the <
: Ualemin t from th« ' EngUifa chranicle ' thai
ndinl at Haiwieh qn the iith of SEplEmber
)<icioibe translator. The English t^tranicle
Evidently VBhjsuSNnv Chrandu 'of Eii^
Hd Fr»„a. dr <r™»rrfa«. -f H&torits.
one side and on the other, till at the last
they found villages and a great abbey of
black monks, the which is called Saint-
Edmund, whereas they three days refreshed
CHAPTER XI
And then this tiding spread about the
realm so much, that at the last it came to
the knowledge of the lords by whom the
queen was called again into England. And
they apparelled them in all haste to come
to Edward her son, whom they would have
to their sovereign lord. And the first thai
came and gave them most comfort was
Henry earl of Lancaster with the wry
neck, called Tort Col, who was brother to
Thomas eari of Lancaster, beheaded as ye
have heard herebefore, who was a good
knight and greatly recommended, as ye
shall heal after in this history. This earl
Henry came to the queen with great com-
Eany of men of war, and after him came
'om one part and other earls, barons,
knights and squires, with so much people
that they thought them clean out of penis,
and always increased their power as they
went forward. Then they took counsel
among them that they should ride straight
to the town of Bristow, whereas the king
was, and with him the Spencers. The
which was a good town and a strong, and
well closed, standing on a good port of the
sea, and a strong castle, the sea heating |
round about it. And therein was the king I
and sir Hugh Spencer the elder, who was '
about ninety of age, and sir Hugh Spencer
his son, who was chief governour of the
king and counselled him in all his evil
deeds. Also there was the earl of Arundel,
who had wedded the daughter of sir Hugh
Spencer, and divers other knights and
squires repairing about the king's court.
Tlien the queen and all her company,
lords of Hainault, earls and barons, and
all other Englishmen, took the right way
to the said town of Bristow, and in every
own whereas they entered they were re-
:eived with great feast and honour, and
ilways Iheir people increased ; and so long
they rode by Iheir journeys that they arrived _
THE CHRONICLES OF Ff!OISSAKT
Bl Bristow, and IjcsiegcJ Ihe [own round
about as near as they might : nnd the king
and sit Hugh Spencer the youneer held
them in the castle, and the old sit Hugh
Spencer and the carl of Arundel held
them in the town. And when the people
of the town saw the great power that the
qneea was or (for almost all England
was of her accord), and perceived what
peril and danger evidently they were in,
they took counsel among themselves and
determined that they would yield up (he
town to the queen, so tliat their lives and
goods mi^ht be saved. And so they sent
to treat with the queen and her council in
this matter; but the queen nor her council
would not agree thereto without she might
do with sir Hugh Spencer and with ■■-
earl of Arundel what it pleased her.
When the people of the town saw ihey
could have no peace otherwise, nor save
the town nor their goods nor their lives,
in that distress they accorded lo the queen
and opened the gates, so that the queen
and SIT John of Hainault, and all her
barons, knights and squires, entered into
the town and took their lodgings within,
as many as micht, and the residue without-
Then sir Hugii Spencer and the earl of
Arandel were taken and lirought before the
nueen, to do her pleasure with Ihem. Then
there was Iwought to the queen her oi
children, John her son and her V\
daughters, the which were found there
the keeping of the said sir Hugh Spenc<
whereof the queen had great joy, for she
had not seen thi^m long before. Then the
king might ii^ve great sorrow and "
Hugh Spencer the younger, who wert . —
enclosed in the ^irong castle, and the most
part of all the lealm lumed |o the queen'
part and to Edward her eldest son
CHAPTER xir
_WWEM the queen and her k. A all
^,^'«">rirea,e,thf"
— '"fir ease, ", ,
iS^'^theyn^igfV
*?P="«rtJ,e<'"^,l5
that were there present, and said how lliat
she and her son should take right and law
on them according to their deserts. Then
sir Hugh Spencer said, 'Madam, God be
to you a good judge and give you good
judgment,^ and if we cannot liave it m this
world, 1 pray God we may iiave It in
another.' Then stept forth sir Thomas
Wake, a good knight and marshal of the
host, and there openly he recounted their
deeds in writing, and then turned him to
another ancient knight to the intent that
he should bring him on that case fanty,"
and to declare what should be done with
said knight counselled with other boron*
and knights, and so reported their opinions,
the which was, how they had well deserved
death for divers horrible deeds, the which
they have commised, for ail the tiespasl
rehearsed before to justify to be of Irulh ; '
wherefore they have deserved for the
diversities of their trespasses to have judg-
ment in three divers manners — ^first, to be
drawn, and after to be headed, and then
to be hanged on the gibbet. This in like-
wise as they were judged so it was done
and executed before the casttc of Bristow in
the sight of the king and of sic Hugh Spencer
the younger. This judgment was done in
Ihe year of out Lord Mcccxxvi., on Saint
Denis' day in October
And after this execution the king and the
youne Spencer, seeing themselves thus Ite-
si^eS in this mischief and knew no comfort
that might come lo them, in a morning be-
times they two with a small company entered
into a little vessel behind the castte, thinking
to have fled to the country of Wales. But
they were eleven days in the ship, and en-
forced it to sail as much as they might ; but
whatsoever they did, the wind was every day
so contrary to them by the will of God, that
1 Tlii* »!iou:
^haold findhim Euilly on 'ihe ehaine' (' fiwity ' for
e should d«brt up
TUB CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Mrived at Ihe city of I^ondon, and they of
the city with great compan]' met Ihem and
did to the queen and to her son great
Kveceni^, and to all their compiiny, as
th^ thought it bcEl bestowed.
And when (hey had been thus received and
feasted the space of liFtecn days, the knights
strangers, and nitmely sir John of llai-
tiault, had great desire to return again intn
their own countries, for Ihey thought they
bad well done their devoir a.nd achieved
great honour, and so took their leave of the
queen and of the lords of the realm : and
the queen and the lords required Ihem to
tarry longer a little space, to see what should
be done with the king, who was in prison ;
but Ihe strangers had so great desire to
leturn into their own countries that to
pray them the contrary availed not. And
when (he queen and her council saw that,
they yet desired sir John of Hainault to
tarry till it was past Christinas, and to
relain with him such of his company as
pleased him best. The gentle knight
would not leave to perform his service,
but courteously granted the queen to tarry
OS long as it pleased her, and caused to
larry such of hLi company as he could get ;
that was hut a few, for Ihe remnant would
in no wise tarry, whereof he was displeased.
When the queen and her council saw that
they would not abide for no prayers, then
they made them great cheer and feasts.
And the queen made to be given to them
plenty of gold and silver for their costs and
services, and did give great jewels to each
of them according to their degrees, so as
they all held themselves right well content.
And over that they had silver for their
borses, such as they would leave behind
them, at their own estimation without any
grudging. And Ihus sir John of Hainault
abode still with a small company among the
Englishmen, who always did him as much
honour as Ihey could imagine, and to all
his company. And in bkewise so did the
ladies and damosels of the country ; for
there were great plenty of countesses and
great ladies [and] gentle pucelles, who
were come ihilher to accompany the queen.
For il seemed well to them that the knight
■ir John of Hainault had well deserved the
cheer and feast that they made him.
CHAPTER XIV
Dg Edward the third.
Afteg that the most part of the company
of Hainault were departed and sir John
Hainanlt lord of Beaumont tarried, the
queen gave leave to her people to depart,
saving a certain noble knights, the which
she kept sliU about her and her son to
counsel them, and commanded all them
that departed to be at London the next
Christmas, for as then she was determined
to keep open court, and all they promised
her so to do. And when Christmas wM
come, she held a great Court And thither
came dukes,' earls, barons, knights, and all
the nobles of the realm, with prelates and
burgesses of good towns ; and at this
assembly it was advised that the reolto
could not long endure without a head and
a chief lord. Then they put in writing all
the deeds of the king who was in prison,
and all that he had done by evii counsel,
and all liis usages and evil behavings, and
how evil he had governed his realm, the
which was read openly in plain audience,
to the intent that the noble sages of the
realm might take thereof good advice, and
to &1I at accord how Ihe realm should be
governed from thenceforth. And when all
thecnses and deeds that the king had done
and consented to, and all his behaving and
usages were read and well understanded, the
barons and knights and all the counsels *
of the realm drew them apart to counsel ;
and the most part of Ihem accorded, and
namely the great lords and nobles with the
burgesses of the good towns, according as
they had heard say and knew Ihcmselvel
the most part of his deeds. Wherefore
they concluded that such a man was not
worthy to be a king, nor to bear a crown
royal, nor to have the name of a king.
But they all accorded tluLl Edward hu
eldest son, who was there present and wat
rightful heir, should be crowned king instead
ofhis father, so that he would take good coun-
sel,sageand true, about him, so that the realm
from thenceforth might be better governed
khich A
i~ u just below, ^kwc 1« caDBUlc dflrf
ACCESSION OF EDWARD in.
;han it was before, and that Lhe old king
lis &tber should be well and honestly kept
iS long as he lived, sccotiling to liis estate.
And thus as it was a^eed by all the
obles, so it was accomplished ; and then
ras crowned with a crown royal at the
alace of Westminster beside London the
aung king Edward the third, who in his
afs after was right jbrtunale and happy
L aims- This coronation was in the year
F our Liord Mcccxxvi., on Christmas-
ay, and as then the young king was about
le age of sixteen ; and they held the feast
11 the Conversion of Saint Paul (btlowing,
id in the meantime greatly was feasted
r John of Haiuault and all the princes
ad nobles of his country, and was given to
im and to his company many rich jewels,
ind so he and hLs company in gteiit feast
nd solace both with lords and ladies tarried
ill the Twelfth day. ^ [^And then sir John of
tainault heard tidings how that the king
if Bohemia and the earl of Hainault his
xother and other great plenty of lords of
France had ordainetl lo be at Conde= at a
neat feast and tourney that was there cried,
rhen would sir John of Hainault no longer
kbide for no prayer, so great desire he had
;6 be at the said tourneyjand to see the
earl his brother and other lords of his
comitry, and specially the right noble king
in largess*, the gentle Charles king erf
Bohemia. (When Ih . .-_ ^j - :.
and tlK qiteen his n
(aw that he would
that their request could not avail, Uiey gave
bini leave sore against their willsj and the
king by the counsel of the queen his mother
did give him four hundred marks sterlings
of rent heritable to hold of him in fee, to
he paid every year in the town of Bruges,
■nd also did give to Philip of Chateaux, his
cbief esquire and his sovereign counsellor,
a bundled mark of rent yearly, to be paid
al the said place, and also delivered him
mnch money to pay therewith the costs of
Mm and of his company, till he come into his
ovD country, and caused him to be con-
ducted with many noble knights to Dover,
and there delivered him all his passage free.
And to the ladies that were cotne into
England with the qaeen, and namely to the
countess of Garennes, who was sister to
the earl of Bar, and to divers other ladies
and damosels, there were given many fair
and rich jewels at their departing.' /And
when sir John of Hainault was departed
from the young king Edward^iand all his
company, and were come to Dover, Ihey
entered incontinent into their ships to pass
the said tonmey ; ^d there went with him
fifteen young lusty kn^hts of England, to
go to this tourney with him and to acquaint
fliem with the strange lords and knights that
should he there, and they had great honour
of all the compnny that tourneyed at that
■'- - - at Cond^/)
CHAPTER XV
deEed king Edward.
Aftek that sir John ol Hainault was
departed from king Edward, he and the
queen his mother governed the realm by
thecounsel of the earl of Kent, uncle to the
king, and by the counsel of sir Roger
Mottimer, who had great lands in England
to the sum of seven handled pounds of rent
yearly. And they both were banished and
chased out of England with the queen, as
ye have beard before. Also they used
much after the counsel of sir Thomas
Wake, and by the advice of other who
were reputed for the most sagest of the
realm. Howbeit there were some had
envy thereat, the which never died in
England, and also it reigneth and will
reign in divers other countries. Thus
passed forth the winter and the Lent season
till Easter, and then the king and the queen
and all the realm was in good peace all this
season. Then so it fortuned that king
Robert of Scotland, who had been right
hardy and bad suffered much travail against
Englishmen, and oftentimes he had been
chased and discomfited in the time of king
Edward the first, grandfather to this young
'This iJiould bt: And the ladies . . .
m great iibund:
-%^' cul
dwaidl,
hltr
14
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
king Edward the third, he was as then
become very old and ancient, and sick (as
It was said) of the great evil and malady.^
When he knew the adventures that was
fallen in England, how that the old king
Edward the second was taken and deposed
down from his regaly and his crown, and
certain of his counsellors beheaded and put
to destruction, as ye have heard herebefore,
then he bethought him that he would defy
the young king Edward the third, because
he was young and that the barons of the
realm were not all of one accord, as it was
said : therefore he [thought] the better to
speed in his purpose to conquer part of
England. And so about Easter in the year
of our Lord Mcccxxvii. he sent his de-
fiance to the young king Edward the third
and to all the realm, sending them word
how that he would enter into the realm of
England and bren before him as he had done
beforetime at such season as the discom-
fiture was at the castle of Stirling, whereas
the Englishmen received great damage.
When the king of England and his
council perceived that they were defied,
they caused it to be known over all the
realm, and commanded that all the nobles
and all other should be ready apparelled
every man after his estate, and that they
should be by Ascension-day next after at
the town of York, standing northward.
The king sent much people before to keep
the frontiers against Scotland, and sent a
great ambassade to sir John of Hainault,
praying him right affectuously that he would
help to succour and to keep company with
him in his voyage against the Scots, and
that he would be with him at the Ascension-
day next after at York, with such company
as he might get of men of war in those
parts. When sir John of Hainault lord
of Beaumont heard the king's desire, he
sent straight his letters and his messengers
in every place whereas he thought to
recover or attain to have any company of
men of war, in Flanders, in Hainault, in
Brabant, and in other places, desiring them
that in their best apparel for the war they
would meet him at Wissant, for to go over
\ ' La grosse maladie,' which is commonly ex-
«tla&««/^ t0 mean leprosy, but Scheler in the
'M^ to his Froissart glossary says ' epilepsy,
H> * morbus grossus' m Du Cange.
%ig here is 'gouttes.'
the sea with him into England. And all
such as he sent unto catne to him with a
glad cheer, and divers other that heard
thereof, in trust to attain to as much honour
as they had that were with him in England
before at the other voyage. So that by
that time the said lord Beaumont was
come to Wissant, there was ready ships for
him and his company, brought out of
England. And so they took shipping and
passed over the sea and arrived at Dover,
and so then ceased not to ride till they
came within three days of Pentecost to the
town of York, whereas the king and the
queen his mother and all his lords were
with great host tarrying the coming of sir
John of Hainault, and had sent many before
of their men of arms, archers and common
people of the good towns and villages ;
and as people resorted, they were caus^ to
be lodged two or three leagues off, all
about in the country. And on a day thither
came sir John of Hainault and his company,
who were right welcome and well received
both of the king, of the queen his mother,
and of all other barons, and to them was
delivered the suburbs of the city to lodge
in. And to sir John of Hainault was
delivered an abbey of white monks for him
and his household. There came with him
out of Hainault the lord of Enghien, who
was called sir Gaultier, and sir Henry
lord d'Antoing, and the lord of Fagnolle,
and sir Fastres du Roeulx, sir Ro^rt de
Bailleul, and sir Guilliam de Bailieul his
brother, and the lord of Havreth, chatelain
of Mons, sir Allard de Briffeuil, sir Michael
de Ligne, sir John de Montigny the younger
and his brother, sir Sanses de Boussoit, the
lord of Gommegnies, sir Perceval de
Semeries, the lord of Beaurieu and the
lord of Floyon. Also of the country of
Flanders there was sir Hector of Vilain,
sir John de Rhodes, sir Wulfart de
Ghistelles, the lord of Straten, sur Gossuin
de la Moere : and divers came thither of
the country of Brabant, as the lord of Duffel,
sir Thierry of Walcourt, sir Rasse de Gres,
sir John de Kesterbeke, sir John Pyliser,
sir Giles de Coterebbe, the three brethren
de Harlebeke, sir Gaultier de Huldebei^
and divers other : and of Hesbegnons^
^ 1 The translator found * Behaygnons ' (6ohe>
mians) in his edition and has reproduced it, but it is
clearly wrong. Hesbaing is in the district of Liege.
tVJR WITH SCOTLAND, 1327
IS
; was sir John le Bel^ and sir Henry
brother, sir Godfrey de ia Chapelle,
lugh d'Ohey, sir John de Lihyne, sir
ybert d'Oupey, and sir Gilbert de
:k ; and out of Cambcesis and ArloLs
; were come certain knights of their
good wills to advance their bodies : so
sir John of Hiinault had well in his
pany five hundred men of arms, well
ireiled and richly mounted. And after
feast of Peotecost came [hilher sir
liam de Juliers, who wns after duke of
Ts after the decease of his father, and
"hierry of Hcinsherg. who was after
of iJoos, and with them a right fair
and all to keep company with the
le knight sir John of Hainault lord
CHAPTER XVI
gentle king of England, the better
ast these strange lords and all their
pany, held a great court on Trinity
lay in the Friars,^ whereas he and the
n his mother were lodged, keeping
houEe Each of them apart. At this
the king bad wt:ll live hundred ktilghts,
fifteen were new made. And the
n had well in her court sixty ladies and
osels, who were there ready to make
and cheer to sir John of Hainault and
is company. There might have been
great nobless [in serving] plenty of
lannet of strange victuals. There were
^ and damosels freshly apparelled, ready
ave danced if they might have leave,
incontinent after dinner there began a
t fray between some of the grooms and
Phis u John le Bel, csnoa of Sunt Lflnbert's
icgE, on whose chronicle lhi« early part of
.ur?s history i> founded. He was therefore
'e-AiiDess of Che evenCfi of thia campaign. In
pages of the strangers and of the archers of
England, who were lodged among them in
the said suburbs ; and anon nil the archers
assembled them together with their bows,
and drove the strangers home to their
lodging. And the most part of the knights
and masters ofthem were as then intheking's
court ; but as soon ss tbey heard tidings of
the fray, each of them drew to their own
ludging in great haste, such as might enter.
And such as could not get in were in great
peril, for the archers, who were to the
number of three thousand,* shot fast their
arrows, not sparing masters nor varlels.
And it was thought and supposed that this
fray was begun by some of the friends of
the Spencers and of the carl of Arundel's,
who were put to death before by the aid
and counsel of sir John of Hainault, as ye
have heard before, [who] as then peiod-
venture thought to be somewhat revenged
and to set discord in the host. And so
the Englishmen, that were hosts to these
strangers, shut fast their doors and windows
and would not suffer thetn to enter into
their lodgings : houl>eit some gat in on the
back side and quickly armed them, but
tbey durst not issue out into the street for
fear of the arrows.
Then the strangers brake out on the
back side, and brake down pales and
hedges of gardens, ai^d drew them into a
certain plain place and abode their com-
pany, till at the last Ihey were a hundred and
above of men of arms and as many unhar-
nessed, such as could not get to their
lodg;ings. And when they were assembled
together, they basted them to go and suc-
cour their companions, who defended their
lodginfp in the great street. And as they
went forth, they passed by the lodging of
the lord d'Engbier, whereas there were
great gales both before and behind, open-
ing intt) the great street. And the archers
of England shot fiercely at the house, and
there were many of the Hainaulters hurt,
and the good knight Fastres de Rceuli and
sir Perceval de Semeries, and sir Sanses
de Boussoit, these three could not enter in
to their lodgings to arm ihem, but they did
as valiantly as though (hey had been
armed. Tliey had great levers in their
hands, the which they found in a. car-
penter's yard, with the which they gave
i6
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
such strokes that men durst not approach
to them. They three beat down that day,
with such few company as they had, more
than sixty ; for they were great and mighty
knights. Finally the archers that were at
the fray were discomfited and put to chase,
and there was dead in the place well to the
number of three hundred. And it was said
they were all of the bishopric of Lincoln.
I trow God did never give more grace and
fortune to any people than he did as then
to this gentle knight sir John of Hainault
and to his company. For these English
archers intended to none other thing but to
murder and to rob them, for all that they
were come to serve the king in his busi-
ness. These strangers were never in so
great peril all the season that they lay, nor
they were never after in surety till they were
again at Wissant in their own country.
For tliey were fallen in so great hate with
all the archers of the host, that some of the
barons and knights of England shewed
unto the lords of Hainault, giving them
warning that the archers and other of the
common people were allied together to
the number of six thousand to the intent
to bren or to kill them in their lodgings
either by night or by day. And so they
lived at a hard adventure; but each of
them promised to help and aid other, and
to sell dearly their lives or they were slain.
So they made many fair ordinances among
themselves by good and great advice, where-
by they were lain oftentimes to lie in their
harness by night, and in the day to keep their
lodgings and to have all tlieir harness ready
and their horses saddled. Thus continu-
ally they were fain to make watch by their
constables in the fields and highways about
the court, and to send out scout-watches a
mile off to see ever if any such people were
coming to themward, as they were in-
formed of, to the intent that if their scout-
watch heard any noise or moving of people
drawing to the city-ward, then incontinent
they should give them knowledge, whereby
they might the sooner gather together, eacn
of them under their own banner in a
certain place, the which they had ad-
vised for the same intent. And in this
tribulation they abode in the said suburbs
by the space of four weeks, and in all that
season they durst not go far from their
harness nor from their lodgings, saving a
certain of the chief lords among them, who
went to the court to see the king and his
council, who made them right good cheer.
For if the said evil adventure had not been,
they had sojourned there in great ease, foi
the city and the country about them was
right plentifiiL For all the time of sb
weeks that the king and the lords of £ng
land and more than sixty thousand men o
war lay there, the victuals were nevar th<
dearer ; for ever they had a pennywort!
for a penny, as well as other had befon
they came there, and there was good wini
of Gascoyne and of Alsace, and of thi
Rhine, and plenty thereof^ with right gooc
cheap as weU of pullen as of other victuals
and there was daily brought before theii
lodgings hay, oats and litter, whereof the]
were well served for their horses and at %
meetly price.
CHAPTER XVII
Here the history speaketh of the manner ol
the Scots and how they can war.
And when they had sojourned three weeks
after this said fray, then they had know-
ledge from the king by the marshals of the
host, that the next week every man shouU
provide for carts and charettes, tents an(]
pavilions, to lie in the field, and for all
other necessaries thereto belonging, to th<
intent to draw toward Scotland. And
when every man was ready apparelled, the
king and all his barons went out of the
city, and the first night they lodged sin
mile forward. And sir John of Hainaull
and his company were lodged always as
near the king as might be, to do him the
more honour, and also to the intent thai
the archers should have no advantage oi
him nor of his company. And there the
king abode two days and two nights, tarry-
ing for all them that were behind, and tc
be well advised that they lacked nothing.
And on the third day they dislodged and
went forward till they came to the city oi
Durham, a day's journey within the country
called Northumberland, the which at that
time was a savage and a wild country, fiiU
of deserts and mountains, and a right poor
country of everything saving of beasts,
through the which there runneth a river
fiill of flint and great stones, called the
water of Tyne, And on this river slnndclh
the town and castle of Carlisle, the which
tnmetime was king Arthur's, and held his
court there dfteotimcs. Also on that river
isassised the town of NewcaEtle-upon- Tyne,
in the which town was ready the marshal
of England with a great company of men
of arms, to keep the coantry against the
Scots : and at Qirlisle was the lord Here-
ford and the lord Mowbray, who were
govemOQrs there, to defend the Scots the
passage ; for the Scots could not enter into
England, but Ihey must pass this said river
in one place or other. The Englishmen
could hear no tiding of the Scots till they
were come to the entry of the said country.
The Scots were passed this liver ao privily,
[hat they of CaiUsle nor yet of Newcastle
knew nothing thereof, for between the said
towns it was twenty-four English mile.'
These Scottish men are right hardy and
sore travailing in harness ajid in wars. For
when they will enter into England, within
a day and a night they wiU drive theu
whole host twenty-four mile, for they are
all a-horseback, without it be the Irandals
and laggers of the host, who follow after
afoot. The knights and squires are well
horsed, and the common people and other
on little hackneys and gelding^ ; and they
carry with them no carts nor chariots, for
the diversities of the mountains that they
must pass through in the country of North-
umberland. They take with them no pur-
veyance of bread not wine, for their usage
and soberness is such in time of war, that
tbey will pass in the journey a great long
time with Besli half sodden, without bread,
and drink of the river water without wine,
and they neither care for pots nor pans, for
tbey seethe l^ea^its in their own skins. They
ate ever sure to find plenty of beasts in the
omntry that they will pass through ; there-
fore ihey carry with them none other pur-
veyance, but on their horse between the
1 la the oti^iuat, 'twenty-four Enfflifih leases.
! pr'dii^™^
saddle and the panel they truss a broad
plate of metal, and behind the saddle they
will have a little sack full of oatmeal, to
the intent that when they have eaten of the
sodden flesh,' then they lay this plate on
the fire and temper a little of the oatmeal ;
and when the plate is hot, they cast of
the thin paste thereon, and so make a
little cake in manner of a cracknell or
biscuit, and that Ihey cat to comfort withal
their stomachs. Wherefore it is no great
marvel though Ihey make greater journeys
than other people do. And in this manner
were the Scots entered into the said country,
and wasted and brent all about as Ihey
went, and took great number of beasts.
Tbey were to the number of four thousand
men of arms, knights and squires, mounted
on good horses, and other ten thousand
men of war were armed after their guise,
right hardy and fierce, mounted on little
hackneys, the which were never lied nor
kept at hard meat, but let go to pasture in
the fields and bushes. Thej' had two good
captains, for king Robert of Scotland, who
in his days had been hardy and pi'udent,
was as then of great age and sore gtieved
with the great sickness ; but he had made
one of his captams a gentle prince and a
valiant in arms called the earl of Moray,
bearing in his arms silver, three oreilleis
Biles ;' and the other was the lord William
ouglas,' who was reputed for the most
hardy knight and greatest adventurer in all
the realm of Scotland, and he bare acure,
a chief silver.* These two lords were
renowned as chief in all deeds of arms and
great prowess in all Scotland.
» Froistan calls 1
ilaims pcnimal acqunintanCE viih the DaueJi!!
Bmily and had stayed at Dalkdlb caslJe, ought to
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
CHAPTER XVIII
.. and heard of Ihe fires thi
Scols had mnJe in England, incontinent
was cried alann, and every man commanded
to dislodge and follow after the marshals'
banners. Then every man drew lo the
field ready apparelled to fight. There was
ordained three great battles afoot, and la
every battle two wings of five hundred men
of arms, knights and squires, and thirty
thousand other, armed and welt apparelled,
the one half on little hackneys and the
other were men of the country afoot, ient
out of good towns at their wa^es ; and
Iwenly-four thousand Bri::hers afool,' beside
all the other rascal and followers of the
host. And as these battles were thus
ciiiiered, so they advanced forward, well
ranged and in good order, and followed the
Scots by the ailhe of the smoke that they
madewith burning ; and thus they followed
all that day till it was near night. Then
the host lodged them in a wood by a little
liver side, there to rest and to abide for
their carriage and purveyances. And at that
day the Scots had brent and wasted and
pilled the country about within five mile* of
the English host ; but the Englishmen
could not overtake them. And the next
day in ihe morning all the host armed ihem
and displayed their banners on the Geld,
every man ready apparelled in his own
battle, and so advanced without disordering
all the day through mountains and valleys ;
but for all that they could never approach
near to the Scots, who went wasting the
country before Ihem. There were such
rnatishes and savage deserts, mountains and
dales, that it was commanded on pain of
death that none of the host should pass
before the banners of the marshals. An '
when it drew toward the nighl, the peoplt
horse anil carriage, and namely the men
ofoot, were so sore travailed, that thejr
could not endure to labour any further thkt
day. And when the lords saw that their
labour in following the Scots was in vain,
and also they perceived well, though the
Scots would abide them, yet they might
take their field in such a place or on such a
hill that Ihey could not fight with them,
without it were to their great damage and
■ ■ J the
1 Thsm
IE of thf D
ufthc
rdlSiDgEthc
jeopardy, (
king's nam
by Ihe marshals that the b
bould take their lodging for that night,
md so to lake counsel and advice what
should be best to do the nent day. So the
lodged in a wood by a river side,
and the king was lodged in a little poor
bbey : his men of war, horse and carriage
vere marvellously fortravailed. And when
:very man had lakcn his place to lodge
here all night, then the lords drew them
apart lo lake counsel how they might fight
with the Scots, considering the country that
they were in : for as liir as they could
understand, the Scots went ever forwards,
al! atxiut burning and wasting the country,
and perceived well how (hey could not m
any wise fight with them among these
mountains without great peril or danger,
and they saw well also they could not over-
take them : but it was thought that the
Scots must needs pass again the river of
Tyne homeward ; therefore it was deter-
mined by great advice and counsel that all
the host should remove al midnight, and to
make haste in the morning to the intent to
stop the passage of the river from the Scots,
idy at the first sound-
ing of the trumpet, and at the second blast
every man to arm him without delay, and
at the third every man quickly to mount on
their horses and to draw under theur own
standard and banner ; and every man to
take with him hut one loaf of bread, and to
truss it behind him on his horse. It was
also determined that they should leave
I ^Adviaul' here items lo mean 'brought to
behind them all their loose harness and all
mAnncT of carri^es and puEveyances, fbr
ibej' thought surely lo fight with the Scots
the next day, whatsoever danger they were
in, thinking to jeapaci), either lo win or to
lose all. And Ihus it was ordained and go
it wa^ accomplished : for a1>out niidn^ht
every man "lis ready apparelled ; few hod
slept iHit little, and yet they had sore
travailed the day Ijefore. As great haste as
they made, or ihey were well ranged in
Ijattle the day began lo appear. Then they
advanced forward in all hasle through
mountains, valleys and rocks, and through
many evil passages without any plain couo-
ity. And on the highest of these hills and
on the plain of these valleys there were
marvellous great marshes and dangerous
passages, that it was great marvel thai much
[leople had not been lost, for they rode ever
still forward and never tarried one for
another; for whosoever fell in any of ihese
marshes with much pain could get any aid
Id help them ddC again, so that in divers
places there were many lost, and specially
horse and carriages ; and oftentimes in the
day there was cned alarum, for it was said
ever that the ibremost company of their
host were lighting with their enemies, so
thai the hindetmost weened it had been
Ime ; wherefore they hasted them over
rocks and stones and mountains with helm
and shield ready apparelled to fight, with
speat and sword ready in hand, without
tarrying for lather, brother or companion.
And when they had thus run forth often-
times in the day the space of half a mile
tc^ether toward the cry, weening it had
been their enemies, Ihey were deceived;
for the cry ever arose by the raising of harts,
hinds and other savage beasts that were
seen by them in the forward, after the which
beasts they made such shouting and crying,
thai they that came after weened Ihey had
been a-hghting with their enemies.
Thus rode forth all that day the young
king of England by mountains and deserts
without Knding any h^hway, town or
village. And when it was gainst night
they came lo the river of Tyne, to the same
place whereas the Scots had passed over
mto England, weening lo them that they
must needs repass again the same way.
Then the king of England and his host
u: with such guides
as he had,' with much poin and travail, for
the passage was full of great stones. And
when they were over, they lodged them that
night by the river side, and by that time
the sun was gone to rest, and there was but
few among them that had either axe oi
booh, or any instrument to cut down any
wood to make their lodgings withal ; and
there were many that had lost theur own
company and wist not where they were.
Some of the footmen were far behind and
wist not well what way to take ; but such
as knew best the country said plainly Ihey
had ridden the same day twenty -four
English miles, for they rode as fast as they
might without any rest, but at such passages
as they could not choose. All tins night
they lay by this river side, still in their
harness, holding their horses by their reins
in their hands, for they wist not whereunto
to tie them. Thus their horses did eat no
meat of all that night nor day before : they
had neither oats for forage for them, nor
the people of the host had no sustenance of
all Ihat day nor night, but every man his
loaf that he had carried behind him, the
which was soie wet with the sweat of the
horses i nor ihey drank none other drink
but the water of the river, without it were
some of the lords that had carried bottles
with them ; nor they had no fire nor light,
for they had nothing to make light wiUial,
without it were some of the lords tiat had
torches brought with them.
night, their ai
their backs, their horses ready saddled.
And when the day began lo appear, the
which was greatly desired of all the whole
host, they trusted then to find some redress
for themselves and for their horses, or else
lo fight with their enemies, the which they
greatly desired to the intent to be delivered
out of the great travail and pain that they
had endured. And all that day it rained
so fast that the river and passage was
waxen great and risen so high, that or it
were noon there might none pass the
passages again ; wherefore they could not
send to know whereas Ihey were, not where
20
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
ances ; but so all that night they were fain
to fast, nor their horses had nothing but
leaves of trees and herbs : they cut down
boughs of trees with their swords to tie
withal their horses and to make themselves
lodges. And about noon some poor folks
of the country were found, and they said
how they were as then fourteen mile from
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and eleven mile from
Carlisle, and that there was no town nearer
to them wherein they might find anything
to do them ease withal. And when this
was shewed to the king and to the lords of
his council, incontinent were sent thither
horses and sumpters to fetch thence some
purveyance ; and there was a cry in the
king's name made in the town of Newcastle,
that whosoever would bring bread or wine
or any other victual should be paid there-
fore incontinent at a good price, and that
they should be conducted to the host in
safe-guard ; for it was published openly
that the king nor his host would not depart
from the place that they were in, till they
had some tidings where their enemies were
become. And the next day by noon such
as had been sent for victual returned again
to the host with such purveyances as they
could get, and that was not over much, and
with them came other folks of the country
with little nags charged with bread evil
baken in panniers, and small poor wine in
barrels, and other victual to sell in the host,
whereby great part of the host were well
refreshed and eased.
And thus they continued day by day the
space of eight days, abiding every day the
returning again of the Scots, who knew no
more where the English host lay than they
knew where they were ; so each of them
were ignorant of other. Thus three days
and three nights they were in manner with-
out bread, wine, candle or light, fodder or
forage, or any manner of purveyance, either
for horse or man : and after the space of
four days a loaf of bread was sold for six-
pence the which was worth but a penny,
and a gallon of wine for six groats that was
worth but sixpence. And yet for all that,
there was such rage of famine that each
took victuals out of other's hands, whereby
there rose divers battles and strifes between
sundry companions ; and yet beside all
these mischiefs it never ceased to rain all
the whole week, whereby their saddles,
panels and countersingles were all rotten
and broken, and most part of their horses
hurt on their backs : nor they had not
wherewith to shoe them that were unshod,
nor they had nothing to cover themselves
withal from the rain and cold but green
bushes and their armour, nor they had
nothing to make fire withal but green
boughs, the which would not burn because
of the rain. In this great mischief they
were all the week without hearing of any
word of the Scots, upon trust they should
repass again into their own countries the
same way or near thereabout ; whereby
great noise and murmur began to rise in the
host, for some said and laid it to others*
charge that by their counsel the king and
all they were brought into that danger,
and that they had done it to betray the
king and all his host. Wherefore it was
ordained by the king and by his council
that the next morning they should remove
the host and repass again the river about
seven mile thence, whereas they might pass
more at their ease. Then it was cried
throughout the host that every man should
be ready apparelled to remove the next day
betimes : also there was a cry made that
whosoever could bring to the king certain
knowledge where the Scots were, he that
brought first tidings thereof should have for
his labour a hundred pounds [of] land to
him and to his heirs for ever, and to be
made a knight of the king's hand.
When this cry was made in the host,
divers English knights and squires to the
number of fifteen or sixteen, for covetise
of winning of this promise, they passed
the river in great peril and roide forth
through the mountains, and departed each
one from other, taking their adventure.
The next morning the host dislodged and
rode fair and easily all the day, for they
were but evil apparelled, and did so much
that they repassed again the river with
much pain and travail, for the water was
deep because of the rain that had fallen,
wherefore many did swim and some were
drowned. And when they were all over,
then they lodged the host ; and there
they found some forage, meadows and fields
about a little village, the which the Scots
had brent when they passed that way.
And the next day they departed from
thence and passed over hills and dales all
day till it was noon, and then ihey found
some villages brent by Ihe Scols, and there
about was some cha.mpaign caunlry witl
cota and meadows, aad so that night thi
host lodged there. Again the third day
tbey rode forth, so thai the most part of
the host wtsl not which way, for they knew
not the country nor Ihey could hear no
tidings of the Scots. And again the fourlh
day they lode forth in like manner, till ''
was about ihe hour of Ihree,^ and the
came asquire fast riding toward the kir
and said: 'An it like your grace, I hai
brought you perfect tidings of the Sco
your enemies. Surely they be within three
mile of you, lodged on a Ereat mountain,
abiding there for you ; ^nd there they have
been all this eight days, nor they knew no
more tidings of yon than yc did of them.
Sir, this that I shew you is of truth, for I ap-
proached so near to them that I was taken
prisoner and brought liefore ihe lords of
their host ; and there I shewed them lidinea
of you, and how that ye seek for them to the
intent to have battle. And the lords did
quit me my ransom and prison, when I had
diewed them how your grace had promised
a hondred pounds sterling of rent to him
that brought first tidings of them to you ;
and they made me to promise that I should
not rest till I had shewed yon this tidings,
for they said they had as freat desire to
fight with you as ye had with them : and
there shatl ye tinti them without fault.'
And as soon as the king had heard this
tidings, he assembled all his host in a Sait
meadow to pasture their horses; and be-
side there was a little abbey, the which was
all brent, called in the days of kin^ Arthur
le Blanche Lande.' There the king con-
fessed liim, and every man made him ready.
The king caused many masses to be sung
to housel all snch as had devotion thereto ;
and incontinent he assigned a hundred
Cnds sterling of rent to the squire that
brought him tidings of the Scots, ac-
cording to his promise, and made him
knight [with] his own hands before all the
host. And when Ihey had well rested
them and taken repast, then tlie tmmpet
jnted.
and the lanners and standards followed
this new-made knight, every battle by
itself in good order, through mountains and
dales, ranged as well as they might, ever
ready apparelled to fight ; and they rode
and made such haste that about noon they
were so near the Scots that each of them
might clearly see other.
And as soon as the Scots saw them, they
issued out of their lodges afoot, and or-
dained three great battles in the availing
of the hill, and at the foot of this moun-
tain there ran a great river full of great
rocks and stones, so that none might pass
over without great danger or jeopardy ;
and though the Englishmen had passed
over Ihe river, yet was there no place nor
room between the hill and the river to set
the battle in good order. The Scols had
stablished their two iirst battles at the two
comers of the mountain, joining to the
rocks, so that none might well mount upon
the hill to assail them, but Ihe Scols were
ever ready to beat with stones the assail-
ants, if they passed the river. And when
the lords of England saw the behaving and
the manner of the Scots, they made all
thdr people to'alight afoot and to put oif their
spurs, and arranged three great battles, aa
they had done before, and there were made
many new knights. And when their
battles were set in good order, then some
of the lords of England brought their
young king a -horseback before all the
battles of the host, to the intent to give
thereby the more courage to ali his peojile,
the which king in full goodly manner
prayed and required them right graciously
that every man would pain them to do
weal of bis realm. And it was commanded
upon pain of death that none should go
before the marshals' banners, nor break
their array without they were commanded.
And then the king commanded that they
should advance toward their enemies tail
and easily ; and so they did, and every
battle went forth in good array and order
a great space of ground, to the descending
of the mountain whereas the Scots were.
id this the English host did to the intent
see if their enemies would break their
d or not, and to see what they wonld
; but they could not perceive that they
le about to remove in any wise : Ihey
22
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
were so near together that they might
know each other's arms. Then the host
stood still to take other counsel. And
some of the host mounted on good horses
and rode forth to skirmish with them and
to behold the passage of the river and to
see the countenance of their enemies more
nearer. And there were heralds of arms
sent to the Scots, giving them knowledge,
if that they would come and pass the river
to fight with them in the plain field, they
would draw back from the river and give
them sufficient place to arrange their
battles either the same day or else the
next, as they would choose themselves, or
else to let them do likewise and they would
come over to them. And when the Scots
heard this, they took counsel among them-
selves, and anon they answered the heralds,
how they would do neither the one nor the
other, and said, * Sirs, your king and his
lords see well how we be here in this realm
and have brent and wasted the country as
we have passed through, and if they be
displeased therewith, let them amend it
when they will, for here we will abide as
long as it shall please us. '
And as soon as the king of England
heard that answer, it was incontinent cried
that all the host should lodge there that
night without reculing back. And so the
host lodged there that night with much
pain on the hard ground and stones, always
still armed. They had no stakes nor rods
to tie withal their horses, nor forage, nor
bush to make withal any fire. And when
they were thus lodged, then the Scots
caused some of their people to keep still
the field, whereas they had ordained their
battles ; and the remnant went to their
lodgings, and they made such fires that it
was marvel to behold. And between the
day and the night they made a marvellous
great bruit, with blowing of horns all at
once, that it seemed properly that all the
devils of hell had been there. Thus these
two hosts were lodged that night, the
which was vSaint Peter's night in the begin-
ning of August ^ the year of our Lord
MCCCXXVII.
And the next morning the lords of Eng-
land heard mass and ranged again their
battles as tliey had done the day before ;
and the Scots in like wise ordered their
1 St. Peter in VincuHs, ist August.
battles. Thus both the hosts stood still in
battle till it was noon. The Scots made
never semblant to come to the English
host to fight with them, nor in like wise
the Englishmen to them ; for they could not
approach together without great damage.
There were divers companions a-horseback
that passed the river, and some afoot, to
scrimmish with the Scots, and in likewise
some of the Scots brake out and scrim -
mished with them ; so that there were
divers on both parties slain, wounded and
taken prisoners. And after that noon was
past, the lords of England commanded
every man to draw to their lodging, for
they saw well the Scots would not fight
with them.
And in like manner thus they did three
days together, and the Scots in like case
kept still their mountains. Howbeit there
was scrimmishing on both parties, and
divers slain and prisoners taken. And
every night the Scots made great fires and
great bruit with shouting and blowing of
horns. The intention of the Englishmen was
to hold the Scots therein manner as besieged
(for they could not fight with them there-
as they were), thinking to have famished
them. And the Englishmen knew well by
such prisoners as they had taken that the
Scots had neither bread, wine nor salt, nor '
other purveyance, save of beasts they had
great plenty, the which they had taken in
the country and might eat at their pleasure
without bread, which was an evil diet, for
they lacked oaten meal to make cakes
withal, as is said before ; ^ the which diet
some of the Englishmen used when they
had need, specially borderers when they
make roads into Scotland.
And in the morning the fourth day
the Englishmen looked on the mountain
whereas the Scots were, and they could
see no creature, for the Scots were departed
at midnight. Then was there sent men
a-horseback and afoot over the river to
know where they were become ; and about
noon they found them lodged on another
mountain, more stronger than the other
was, by the same river side, and where
there was a great wood on the one side,
to go and come secretly when they list.
Then incontinent the English host dis-
1 Froissart says only that they did not object to
this diet provided they had oatmeal.
lodged, and drew to Ihal part, embattled
ia good order, and lodged them on another
hill against the Scots, and ranged their
liatlles and made semblant )o have comi
10 ihem. Then Ihe Scots Iwued out p
■heir lodges ajid sel their battles along thi
river side sgainsl them ; but they wod1<
never come toward tLe English host, anc
the Englishmen could not go to them,
withoul Ihey would have been slain or
taken al advantage. Thus they lodged
each against other the space of eighteen
days ; and orienlimes the king of England
sent to them his heralds of arms, ofiering
them that if they would come and 6ghl
with him, he would give them place sufii-
eient on the plain ground to pitch their
field ; or else let them give him room and
place, and he assured them that he would
come over the river and fight with Iheni
but Ihe Scots would never agree thereto.
Thus both the hosts suffered mnch pain
and travail the space that they lay so near
tc^lher : and the first night that the
English host WHS thus lodged on the seconii
mountain Ihe lord William Douglas look
with him about two hundred men of arms
and passed the river far off from the host,
so thai he was not perceived, and suddenly
he brake into the English host about mid-
night crying, 'DQUElas I Douglas I Ye shall
all die, thieves' of England ! ' and he slew,
or he ceased, three hundred men, some in
their beds and some scant ready ; and he
stroke his horse with the spurs and came
to the king's own tent, always crying
' Douglas t' and strake asunder two or
three cords of the king's lent attd so
departed, and in that retreat he lost some
')f his men. Then he returned again to
the Scots, so thai there was no more done r
hut every night the English host made
good and sure watch, for they doubted
making of skryes ; and ever the most
part of the host lay in their harness ; and
every day (here were scrimmishes made, and
men slain on both parties ; and in conclu-
1, the last day of twenty-four, there was
d condition the Scots w
I Die Iranslalgr fmu
» beuer reading IS ' bai
aiih barunt'l or •
_ iX\ in, ye Englisf
was so sore examined that for fear of his
life he shewed how the lords of Scotland
were accorded among themselves that the
same night every man should he ready
aimed, and to follow the banners of the
lord William Douglas, and every man
to keep him secret. But the knight could
not shew them what they intend«J to do.
Then the lords of England drew them to
council, and there it was thought among
them that the Scots might in the night
lime come and assail their host on both
sides, to adventure themselves either to
live or die, for they could endure no longer
the ^rnioe that was among them. Then
the English lords ordainSi three great
battles, and so stood in three parties with-
out their lodgings, and made great fires,
thereby to see the better, and caused all
their pages to keep their lodgings and
Thus they stood still all that night
armed, every man under his own standard
and banner ; and in the breaking of the
day two trumpets of Scotland met with
the English scout-watch, who took the
trumpets and brought them before the king
ofEi^land and his council, and then they
said openly, 'Sirs, what do ye watch
here? Vc lose but your time, for on the
jeopardy of our heads the Scots are gone
and departed before midnight, and they
are at the least by this time three or four
mile on their way ; and they left us two
behind lo the intent that we should shew
tills lo you.' Then the English lords said
that it were but a folly lo follow the Scots,
for they saw well they could not overtake
them ; yet for doubt of deceiving they
kept still the two trumpets privily, and
cansed their battles to stand still arranged
till it was near prime. And when th^
saw fc>r truth that the Scots were departed,
then every man had leave to retray to
their lodging, and the lords took counsel
to determine what should be best lo do.
And in the meantime divers of the English
host mounted on their horses and passed '
over the river, and came to the mountain
whereas Ihe Scots had been ; and there
Ihey found more than live hundred great
beasts ready slain, because Ihe Scots could
not drive them before their host and because
that the Englishmen should have but small
profit of them. Also there they found
24
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
three hundred cauldrons made of beasts'
skins with the hair still on them, strained
on stakes over the fire, full of water and
full of flesh to be sodden, and more than a
thousand spits full of flesh to be roasted,
and more than ten thousand old shoes
made of raw leather with the hair still
on them, the which the Scots had left
behind them ; also there they found five
poor Englishmen prisoners, bound fast to
certain trees, and some of their legs broken.^
Then they were loosed and let go : and
then they returned again, and by that time
all the host was dislodged : and it was
ordained by the king and by the advice of
his council that the whole host should
follow the marshals' banners and draw
homeward into England. And so they did,
and at the last came into a fair meadow,
whereas they found forage sufficient for
their horses and carriages,* whereof they
had great need, for they were nigh so
feeble that it should have been great pain
for them to have gone any further. The
English chronicle saith that the Scots had
been fought withal, an sir Roger Mortimer,
a lord of England, had not betrayed the
king ; for he took meed and money of
the Scots, to the intent they might depart
privily by night unfought withal, as it
may be seen more plainly in the English
chronicle, and divers other matters, the
which I pass over at this time and follow
mine author.*
And so then the next day the host dis-
lodged again and went forth, and about
noon they came to a great abbey two mile
from the city of Durham ; and there the
king lodged, and the host there about in
the fields, whereas they found forage suffi-
cient for themselves and for their horses.
And the next day the host lay there still,
and the king went to the city of Durham
to see the church, and there he offered.*
And in this city every man found their
own carriages,® the which they had left
1 Or (according to a better text) * and two {pr
two others) who had their legs broken.'
2 Froissart says simply * horses.'
3 This statement about Roger Mortimer is an
addition by the translator from Fabyan's Chronicles.
4 In the original we have : * Then the king did
fealty to the church of Durham and to the bishop
{pr bishoijricX and also to the burgesses, for he had
•»rtt done it as yet.'
''Ughout this passage 'carriages' is a
n of ' charois,' charettes,' or some similar
thirty- two days before in a wood at mid-
night, when they followed the Scots first,
as it hath been shewed before ; for the
burgesses and people of Durham had found
and brought them into their town at their
own costs and charges. And all these
carriages were set in void granges and
barns in safe-guard, and on every man's
carriage his own cognisance or arms, where-
by every man might know his own. And
the lords and gentlemen were glad when
they had thus found their carriages.
Thus they abode two days in the city of
Durham, and the host round about, for
they could not all lodge within the city ;
and there their horses were new shod.
And then they took their way to the city
of York, and so within three days they
came thither ; and there the king found
the queen his mother, who received him
with great joy, and so did all other ladies,
damosels, burgesses and commons of the
city.
The king gave licence to all manner of
people, every man to draw homeward to
their own countries. And the king thanked
greatly the earls, barons and knights of
their good counsel and aid that they had
done to him in his journey ; and he retained
still with him sir John of Hainault and all
his conipany, who were greatly feasted by
the queen and all other ladies. Then the
knights and other strangers of his company
made a bill of their horses and such other
stuff" as they had lost in that journey, and
delivered it to the king's council, every
man by itself; and in trust of the king's
prombe, sir John of Hainault lord Beau-
mont bound himself to all his company that
they should be content for everything com-
prised in their own bills within a short
space : for the king nor his council could
not so soon recover gold or silver to con-
tent their desires ; but he delivered them
sufficient by reason to pay all their small
charges and to bring them home withal
into their own countries ; and anon after
within the same year they were paid for
everything they could desire. Then they
of Hainault bought little nags to ride at
their ease, [and sent back] their lackeys and
pages and all their harness and baggages
by water in two ships that was delivered to
word, and means carts for the baggage and not the
baggage itself.
them, the which ships with Iheir slulf'
a.[rived at Sluys in Flitnders. And sir
John of Hainault and his company took
ihcii leave of the king, of the old queen,
nf the earl of Kent, of the ea.rl of Lancaster
and of all the other barons, who greatly
did honour them. And the king caused
twelve knights and Iwo hundred men of
arms to company them, for doubt of the
archers of Et^land, of whom they were not
veil assured, for they must needs pass
through the bishopric of Lincoln.
Thus departed sir John of Hainault and
Iiis rout in the conduct of these knights,
and rode so long in their journey thst they
came lo Dover, and there entered into the
sea in ships and vessels that they fonnd
ready there apparelled for them. Then the
English knights departed from thence, and
returned to Iheir own houses ; auc' '
Hainowes arrived at Wissant, and there
"hey sojourned two days in making ready
iheir horses and harness. And ir "
meantime sir John of Hainault and
of his company rode a pilgrimage ti
l^dy of Boulogne ; and after they reti
into Hainault, and departed each
other to their own houses and coun
.Sir John of Hainault rode to the earl his
brother, who was at Valenciennes,
received him joyously, for greatly he loved
him, to whom he recounted all his tidings,
that ye have heard herebefore.
CHAPTER XIX
Philippa of Hainault.
It was not long after hut that the king and
the queen his mother, the earl of Kent his
uncle, the carl of Lancaster, sir Ri^er
Moilimer and all the barons of England,
and by the advice of the king's council,
they sent a bi^ihop' and two knights ban-
nerets, with IWO nrjlable clerks, to sir John
of Hainault. praying him to be a mean that
their lord the young king of Enpland might
have in marriage one of the eail s daughters
the oLho baroDs of
of Hainault, his brother, natned Philippa ;
for the king and all the nobles of the realni
had rather have her than any other lady,
for the love of him. Sir John of Hainault
lord Beaumont feasted aiid honoured
greatly these ambassadors, and brought
them to Valenciennes to the earl his brother,
who honourably received them and made
them such cheer, that it were over long
here to rehearse. And when they had
shewed the content of their message, the
earl said, ' Sirs, I thank greatly (he king
your prince and the queen his mother
and all other lords of England, sith they
have sent such sufficient personages as ye
be to do me such honour as to treat for the
marriage ; to the which request I am well
agreed, if our holy father the pope will
consent thereto'; with the which answer
these ambassadors were right wel! content.
Then they sent two Itnights and two
clerks incontinent to the pope, to Avignon,
to purchase a dispensation for this marriage
to be had ; for without the pope's licence
they might not marry, for [by] the lineage
of France they were so near of kio as at
the third degree, for the two mothers were
cousin-germans issued of two brethren.^
And when these ambassadors were come to
the pope, and their requests and considera-
tions well heard, our holy father the pope
with all the whole collie consented to this
marriage, and ,so feasted them. And then
they departed and came again to Valen-
ciennes with their bulls.
Then this marriage was concluded and
affirmed on both parties. Then was there
devised and purveyed for their apparel and
for all things honourable that belonged to
such a lady, who should he queen of
England : and there this princess was
married by a sufficient procuration brought
from the king of England ; and after all
feasts and triumphs done, then this young
entered into the sea at Wissant, and
arrived with all her conifiany at Dover.
1 sir John of Hainault lord Beanmont,
uncle, did conduct her to the dty of
London, where there was made great feast,
and many nobles of England, and the
1 TMi slwuld he
England who tiad cdl
■be king jent k bishop,' ei
nuiryUni. Sulhcyis
krabhip of hjth lo Iht
he kinship c=
hnase of Fn
' ^y.'i'
26
THE CHRONICLES OP FROISSAkT
queen was crowned. And there was also
great jousts, tourneys, dancing, carolling
and great feasts every day, the which en-
dured the space of three weeks. The
English chronicle saith this marriage and
coronation of the queen was done at York
with much honour, the Sunday in the even
of the Conversion of Saint Paul, in the year
of our Lord Mcccxxvii. In the which
chronicle is shewed many other things of
the ruling of the realm, and of the death of
king Edward of Caernarvon, and divers
other debates that were within the realm,
as in the same chronicle more plainly it
appeareth : the which the author of this
book speaketh no word of, because per-
adventure he knew it not ; for it was hard
for a stranger to know all things.^ But
according to his writing this young queen
Philippa abode still in England with a
small company of any persons of her own
country, saving one who was named Watelet
of Manny, who abode still with the queen
and was her carver, and after did so many
great prowesses in divers places, that it were
hard to make mention of them all.
CHAPTER XX
How king Robert of Scotland died.
And when that the Scots were departed by
night from the mountain, whereas the
king of England had besieged them, as ye
have heard herebefore, they went twenty-
two mile through that savage country with-
out resting, and passed the river of Tyne
right near to Carlisle ; and the next day
they went into their own land, and so de-
1 The reference is to Fabyan, p. 439. It maybe
noted that the inaccuracy here was corrected in
Froissart's final revision, where he says that the
young queen after landing came to Canterbury and
thence by Rochester and ^ Dartford to Eltham,
where she was met by the bishop of Durham, who
had espoused her by procuration, and many lords
and ladies. Here sir John of Hainault parted from
her and returned, and she passed on to London, and
without making any stay there proceeded north-
wards to York. Here she was received by the
young king and his mother, and the marriage was
celebrated by the archbishop of York m the
cathedral on the day of the Conversion of Saint Paul,
»•»->•» ("1728). The king was then seventeen years
♦*'*t young queen not quite fourteen. At
'^ame to London and Windsor, where
ft and jousts were held.— Vat. MS.
parted every man to his own mansion.
And within a space after there was a peace
purchased between the kings of England
and Scotland ; and as the English chronicle
saith, ^ it was done by the special counsel of
the old queen and sir Roger Mortimer ; for
by their means there was a parliament
holden at Northampton, at the which the
king being within age granted to the Scots
to release all the fealties and homages that
they ought to have done to the crown of
England, by his charter ensealed, and also
there was delivered to the Scots an indent-
ure, the which was called the Ragman,
wherein was contained all the homages and
fealties that the king of Scots and all the
prelates, earls and barons of Scotland ought
to have done to the crown of England,
sealed with all their seals, with all other
rights that sundry barons and knights ought
to have had in the realm of Scotland. And
also they delivered to them again the black
cross of Scotland, the which the good
king Edward conquered and brought it
out of the abbey of Scone, the which was
a precious relic ; and all rights and interests
that every baron had in Scotland was then
clean forgiven. And many other things were
done at that parliament to the great hurt
and prejudice of the realm of England,
and in manner against the wills of all the
nobles of the realm, save only of Isabel the
old queen and the bishop of Ely and the
lord Mortimer: they ruled the realm in
such wise, that every man was miscontent.
So that the earl Henry of Lancaster and sir
Thomas Brotherton, earl marshal, and sir
Edmund of Woodstock, the king's uncle,
and divers other lords and commons were
agreed together to amend these faults, if
they might. And in that meantime the
queen Isabel and sir Roger Mortimer
caused another parliament to be holden at
Salisbury, at the which parliament sir Roger
Mortimer was made earl of March against all
the barons' wills of England, in prejudice
of king and his realm, and sir John of
Eltham the king's brother was made earl
of Cornwall. To the which parliament
the earl Henry of Lancaster would not
come, wherefore the king was brought in 1
belief that he would have destroyed his
"l The whole of this which follows down to the
words 'follow mine author' is inserted by the
translrtor from Fabyan.
w
riEATfl OF KCiRE/^T BRUCE, 1329
person ; for the which they assembled a
t;tcal host and went toward Bedfor<t,
whereas the ear! Ilenty was with his com-
jiany. Then the earl marshal and the earl
'if Kent, Ihc king's iincle, made a peace
lielween the king and the earl of Lancaster,
iin whose part was sir Heniy lord Beau-
mont, sit Fulke Fiti-Warin, sir Thomas
Rocelin, sir William Trussel, sir Thomas
Wither and about a hundred knights, who
were alt expelled out of England by the
counsel of queen Isabel and the earl
Mortimer : for he was so covetous, that he
thought to bave the most part of all their
lands into bis own hands, as it is more
plainly shewed in the English chronicle, the
M'hich I pass over and follow mine author.
The foresaid peace, which was purchased
between England and Scotland, was to
endure three year ; imd in the meantime
it fortuned that king Robert of Scotland
was right sore aged and feeble : for he was
greatly charged with the great sickness, so
that there was no way with him but death.
And when he felt that his end drew near,
he sent for such barons and lords of his
realm as he trusted best, and shewed them
how there was no remedy with him, but he
must needs leave this transitory life, com-
manding them on the faith and truth that
Ihey owed him, truly to keep the realm and
aid the young prince David his son, and
that when he were of age they should obey
him and crown him king, and to marry him
in sach a place as was convenient for his
i-state. Then he called to him the gentle
knightsir William Douglas, and said before
.ill the lords, ' Sir William, roy dear friend,
ye know well that 1 have had much ado
In my days to uphold and sustain the right
of this realm ; and when I Imd most ado, I
made a solemn vow, the which as yet I
have not accomplished, whereof I am right
Borry : the which was, if I might achieve
and make an end of all my wars, so that I
might once have brought this realm in rest
and peace, then I promised in my mind to
havegoneand warred onChrist'senemies, ad-
versaries to our holy Christian faith. To this
purpose mine heart hath ever intended, but
our Lord woald not consent thereto ; for I
have had so much ado in my days, and now
in my lost enterprise I have taken such a
that my heart desireth, I will send the
heart instead of the body to accomplish
mine avow. And iKcnuse 1 know not in all
my realm no knight more valiant than ye
be, nor of body so well furnished to accom-
flish mine avowinsteail of myself, iherelbre
require you, mine own dear especial
friend, that ye will lake on you this voyage,
for the love of me, and to acquit my soul
against my Lord God. For I trust so
much in your nobleness and truth, that an
ye will take on you, I doubt not but that
ye shall achieve it, and declare then shall I
die in more ease and quiet, so that it be
done in such manner as I shaJl declare unto
you. I will that as soon as I am trespassed
out of this world, thai ye lake my heart out
of my body and embalm it, and lake of my
treasure, as ye shall think sufficient for Ihat
enterprise, both for yourselfand such com-
pany as ye will take with you, and present
my heart to the Holy Sepulchre, whereas
our Lord lay, seeing my body cannot come
there: and take with you such company
and purveyance as shall be appertaining to
your eslale. And wheresoever ye come,
let it be known how ye carry with you the
heart of king Robert of Scotland at his
instance and desire, to be presented to the
Holy Sepulchre.'
Then all the lords that heard these words
wept for pity : and when this knight sir
William Douglas might speak for weeping,
he said; 'Ah, gentle and noi'le king, a
hundred times I thank your grace of the
great honour that ye do lo me, silh of so
noble and great treasure ye give me in
charge ; and, sir, I shaU do with a glad
heart all that ye have commanded me, to
the best of my true power, howbeit 1 am
not worthy noi sufficienl to achieve such a
noble enterprise.' Then the king said,
knighthood.' 'Then I thank you,' said
the kii^, 'for now shall I die in more ease
of my mind, sith that I know that the most
worthy and sufficient knight of my realm
shall achieve for me that which 1 could
never attain unto.' And thus soon after
this noble Robert de Bruce king of Scot-
land trespassed out of ihis uncertain world,
and his heart taken out of his body and
\
28
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
embalmed, and honourably he was interred
in the abbey of Dunfermline in the year of
our Lord God Mcccxxvii., the seventh day
of the month of November.^
And when the springing- time began,
then sir William Douglas purveyed him of
that which appertained for his enterprise
and took his ship at the port of Montrose
in Scotland, and sailed into Flanders, to
Sluys, to hear tidings and to know if there
were any nobleman in that country that
would go to Jerusalem, to the intent to
have more company. And he lay still at
Sluys the space of twelve days or he de-
parted, but he would never come a-land,
but kept still his ship, and kept always his
port and behaviour with great triumph,
with trumpets and clarions, as though he
had been king of Scots himself; and in
his company there was a knight banneret
and seven other knights of the realm of
Scotland, and twenty-six young squires and
gentlemen to serve him ; and all his vessel
was of gold and silver — pots, basins, ewers,
dishes, flagons, barrels, cups and all other
things ; and all such as would come and
see him, they were well served with two
manner of wines and divers manner of
spices, all manner of people according to
their degrees.
And when he had thus tarried there the
space of twelve days, he heard reported
that Alphonso king of Spain made war
against a Saracen kmg of Granade. Then
he thought to draw to that part, thinking
surely he could not bestow his time more
nobly than to war against God's enemies :
and that enterprise done, then he thought
to go forth to Jerusalem and to achieve
that he was charged with. And so he
departed and took the sea toward Spain,
and arrived at the port of Valence the
great. ^ Then he went straight to the king
of Spain, who held his host against the
king of Granade Saracen, and they were
near together, on the frontiers of his land.
^ This date should be 7th June 1329. Froissart
iidds that the earl of Moray died almost immedi-
ately after, but the corruption of the text made the
statement unintelligible to the translator, who there-
fore omitted it. It is in fact inaccurate. Note
that the William Douglas of this story is really
James Douglas.
2 Valenza in Aragon, called 'Valence le grant'
*- 'i;«»infiruish it from Valence in Dauphine and
•Kia in Portugal
And within a while after that this knight
sir William Douglas was come to the king
of Spain, on a day the king issued out into
the field to approach near to his enemies.
And the king of Granade issued out in
like wise on his part, so that each king
might see other with all their banners
displayed. Then they arranged their battles
each against other. Then sir William
Douglas drew out on the one side with all
his company, to the intent to shew his
prowess the better. And when he saw
these battles thus ranged on both parties,
and saw that the battle of the king of
Spain began somewhat to advance toward
their enemies, he thought then verily that
they should soon assemble together to fight
at hand strokes ; and then he thought
rather to be with the foremost than with
the hindermost, and strake his horse with
the spurs, and all his company also, and
dashed into the battle of the king of
Granade, crying, * Douglas ! Douglas ! '
weening to him the king of Spain and his
host had followed, but they did not ; where-
fore he was deceived, for the Spanish host
stood still. And so this gentle knight was
enclosed, and all his company, with the
Saracens, whereas he did marvels in arms,
but finally he could not endure, so that he
and all his company were slain. The
which was great damage, that the Spaniards
would not rescue them.
Also in this season there were certain
lords that treated for peace between Eng-
land and Scotland. So that at the last
there was a marriage made and solemnised
between the young king of Scotland and
I dame Joan of the Tower, sister to king
Edward of England, at Berwick, as the
English chronicle saith,^ on Mary Maudlin
day, the year of our Lord mcccxxvii i.,
against the assent of many of the nobles
of the realm. But queen Isabel the king's
mother and the earl Mortimer made that
marriage; at the which, as mine author
saith, there was great feast made on both
parties.
1 The addition from the 'EnglUh chronicle* is
from the words * on Mary Maudlin day ' to ' that
marriage.' — Fabyan, p. 439.
CHAPTER xxr
V Philip of Vnlois
iwned king of
King Charles of France, son to the fair
king Philip, was three times maitied, and
yet died without issue male. The first of
his wives was oae of the most fullest ladies
in all the world, and she was daughter to
the earl of Artois. Howbeit she kept but
evil the sacrament of malrimony, but brake
hfr wedlock ; wherefote she was kept B
long space in prison in the castie Gaillatd,
before that her husband was majle king.
And when the realm of France was fellen
to him, he was crowned by the assent of the
twelve douze-peers' of France, and then
because they would not that the realm of
France should be long without aji he
nude, they advised by their counsel th:
the king should be remarried again ; an
M> he was, to the daughter of the emperor
Henry of Ltutemboutg, sister to the gentle
king of Bohemia ; whereby the
marriage of the king was fordone, between
him and his wife that was in prison, by the
licence and declaration of tne pope that
was then. And by his second wife, who
was right humble, and a noble wise lady,
the king had a son, who died in his young
age, and the queen also at Issoudun in
Berry. And they both died suspiciously,
wherefore divers persons were put to blame
after privily. And after this, the
king Charles was married again the third
lime to the daughter of his uncle, the lord
Louis earl of Evreux, and she was sister
II) the king of Navarre, and was named
1 Joan. And so in time and space
„Js lady was with child, and in the mean-
time the king Charles her husband fell
sick and lay down on his death-bed. And
when he saw there was no way with him
bnt death, he devised that if it fortuned
the queen lo be delivered of a son, then he
would that the lord PhiUp of Valois should
he his govemour, and regent of all his
teolm, lUl his son come lo such age as he
n^t be crowned king ; and if it fortuned
— ■*" — lecn to have a daughter, then he
.. that all the twelve peers of France
Id take advice and counsel for the
itdering of the realm, and that
Mys ufliply ' Is <
queen
!l regaly to
they should give the realm ai
him that had most right there!
Llhin a while after the kingChailes died,
about Easier in the jeat of our Lord
11,, and within a short space
after the queen was delivered of a daughter.
Then all the peers of France assembled
council together at Paris, as shortly as
ey might conveniently, and theie they
gave the realm by common accord lo sir
Philip of Valois, and put clean out the
Isabel of England and king Edward
m. For she was sistcr-german to
king Charles last dead, but the opinion of
the nobles of France was, and said and
maintained that the realm of France was
great nobless, that it ought not by
sion to fall into a woman's band,
io thus they crowned king of France
Philip Valois at Rheims on Trinity Sunday
\nd anon after he summoned all his
■ons and men of war, and went with all
_ . power to the town of Casael and laid
siege thereto, in making war against the
Flemings, who rebelled i^Inst their own
lord, and namely they of Bruges, of Ypres,
and of [the] Franc ; for they would not
obey the earl of Flanders, but they had
chased him out of his own country, so that
he might not abide in no part thereof, but
only in Gaunt, and scantly there. These
Flemings were a sixteen thousand, and had
a captain called Colin Dannequin,^ a hardy
man and a courageous. And they had
made their garrison at Cassel, at the wages
of divers towns in Flanders, to the intent
to keep the frontiers there about ; but ye
shall hear how the Flemings were discom-
fited, and all by their own outrage.
CHAPTER XXH
Of the battle of Cassel jn Handers.
And on a day they of the garrison of
Cassel departed out to the intent to have
discomfiled the king and all his host And
they came privily without any noise in
three battles well ordered, whereof the first
battle took the way to the king's tents,
nnd it was a fair grace that the king hed
been taken, for he was at supper, and
30
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
all his company, and thought nothing of
them. And the other battle took the
straight way to the tents of the king of
Bohemia, and in manner they found him
in like case. And the third battle went to
the tents of the earl of Hainault, and in
like wise had near taken him. These hosts
came so peaceably to the tents, that with
much pain they of the host could arm them,
whereby all the lords and their people had
been slain, an the more grace of God had
not been : but in manner by miracle of
God these lords discomfited all three
battles, each battle by itself, all in one
hour, in such wise that of sixteen thousand
Flemings there escaped never a person,^
captains and all were slain. And the king
and lords of France knew not one of
another, nor what they had done, till all
was finished and achieved ; for they lay in
three sundry parties one from another : but
as for the Flemings, there was not one left
alive, but all lay dead on heaps, one upon
another in the said three sundry places.
And this was done on Saint Bartholomew's
day the year of our Lord Mcccxxviii.
Then the Frenchmen entered into the
town of Cassel and set up the banners of
France. And the town yielded them' to
the king, and also the town [of] Poperinghe
and of Ypres, and all they of the chatelainy
of Bergues, and then they received the earl
Louis their lord, and sware to him faith
and loyalty for ever. Then after the king
and his people departed and went to Paris,
and he was much honoured and praised
for this enterprise and aid that he had done
to his cousin Louis earl of Flanders.
And thus the king was in great prosperity
and every day increased his royal estate ;
for, as it was said, there was never king in
France * that held like estate as did this
king Philip of Valois.
CHAPTER XXIII
How the earl of Kent and the earl Mortimer
in England were put to death.
This young king Edward of England was
1 Another text of Frolssart says, * Of all these
sixteen thousand Flemings there escaped but one
thousand.' In any case the exaggeration is very
great. The loss on the Flemish side was probably
less than four thousand.
governed a great space, as ye have heard
before, by the counsel of the queen his
mother and of Edmund of Woodstock
earl of Kent, his uncle, and by sir Roger
Mortimer earl of March. And at the last
envy began to grow between the earl of
Kent and the earl Mortimer, insomuch
that this earl Mortimer informed so the
young king by the consenting of the old
queen Isabel his mother, bearing the king
in hand, that the earl of Kent would have
empoisoned him, to the intent to be king
himself, as he that was next heir-apparent
to the crown; for the king's younger
brother, who was called John of Eltham,*
was newly dead. And then the king, who
gave light credence to them, caused his
uncle the earl of Kent to be taken and
openly to be beheaded, without any manner
of excuse to be heard ; wherewith many of
the. nobles of the realm were sore troubled
and bare a grudge in their hearts toward
the earl Mortimer : and according to the
English chronicle * the earl suffered death
at Winchester, the tenth day of October,
the third year of the king's reign, and lieth
buried at the Friars in Winchester. But,
as mine author saith, within a while after,
as it was ^reported, queen Isabel the king's
mother was with child, and that by the
earl Mortimer, whereof the king was in-
formed, and how the said Mortimer had
caused him to put to death the earl of Kent
his uncle without good reason or cause, for
all the realm reputed him for a noble man.
Then by the king's commandment this earl
Mortimer was taken and brought to Lon-
don ; and there before the great lords and
nobles of the realm was recited by open
declaration all the deeds of the said Mor-
timer. Then the king demanded of his
council what should be done with him; and
all the lords by common assent gave judg-
ment and said, * Sir, he hath deserved to die
the same death that sir Hugh Spencer died.'
And after this judgment there was no dila-
tion of sufferance nor mercy, but incon-
tinent he was drawn throughout London
and then set on a scaffold and his members
cut from him and cast into a fire, and his
heart also, because he had imagined trea-
son, and then quartered, and his quarters
1 A correction for * John a Gaunt.'
2 The references are to Fabyan, p. 441 and
thereabout.
HOMAGE OF EDWARD III.
31
seat la four of the best cities of the realm,
Had his bead lemained still in ImuAod.
And within a little space after, the king
commanded, by the advice of his council,
that the queen tiis mother should b« kept
close in a castle, and so it was done ; and she
bad with her ladies and damosels, knights
ind squires, to serve her according to her
estate, and certain ladies assigned lo her to
maintain therewith lier noble estate all
days of her life ; but in no wise she should
not depart out of the castle, without it
were lo see such sports as Was sometime
shewed before the CBSi\e gale for her re-
creation. Thus this lady Ted forth her life
there meekly, and once or Iwii^e a year the
kin(j her son would come and see her.
The English chronicle shewetb divers other
MilMderalions why the eail Mortimer
luRered death, the which was on Saint
I Andrew's even in the year of our Lord a
I I ihousand three hundred and twenty-nine,
: which I pass over and follow mine
CHAPTER XXrV
> aflcr thai the king had done thesi
two executions, he took new counciUors of
the niosi noblest and sagest persons of his
tealin. And so it was, about a year after
itiat Philip of Valots was crowned king of
France, and that all the liarons and nobles
of the realm had made (heir homage and
fealty to him, except the young king ot
Eoglarid, who had not done his homage
fat the duchy of Guyennc, nor also he
uas not summoned thereto, then the king
of France by the advice of all his coundl
sent over into England the lord d'Auhigny,
the lord Beausaull, and two notable clerks,
masLeis of the parliament of Paris, named
maslet Simon of Orleans and master Peter
uf Maisivres. These four departed from
Paris and did so much by their journeys
that they came to Wissant, and there they
look sea and arrived ot Dover, and there
tarried aday 10 abide the unshipping of their
llocses and baggages ; and then they rode
forth so long that they came 10 Windsor,
whereas the king and the young queen of
England lay ; and then these four caused
lo be known to the king the occasion of
theit coming. The king of England for
the honour of the French king his cousin
caused them to come lo his presence and
received them honourably ; and then they
published their messace. And the king
answered them how that the nohles of his
realm nor bis council was not as then about
him, but desired them to draw to I/)ndon,
and there they should be answered in such
wise, that of reason they should be con-
lent. And so they dined in the king's
chamber, and after deported and lay the
same night at Colebrook, and the next day
It was not long after but that the king
came tti his palace of Westminster, and all
his council was comnundcd lo be there at
a certain day limited. And when they
were all assembled, then the French ambas-
sadors were sent for, and there they declared
the occasion of their coming and delivered
letters from their master. Then the king
went apart with his council to take advice
what was best for him lo do. Then was it
advised by his council that they should be
answered by the ordinance and style of his
predecessors, by the bishop of London.
And so the Frenchmen were called into
the coimcil -chamber. Then the bishop of
London said, ' Lords that be here assem-
bled for the king of France, the king's
grace my sovereign Inrd hath heard your
words and read the tenour of your letters.
Sirs, we say unto you that we will counsel
the king our sovereign lord here present,
that he go into France to see the king your
master, his dear cousin, who right amiably
bath sent for him : and as touching his
faith and homage, he shall do his devoir in
everything that he ought to do of right.
And, sirs, ye may shew the king your
master that within short space the king of
England our master shall arrive in France
and do all that reason shall require.'
Then these messengers were feasted, and
Iheking rewarded them with many great gifts
and jewels ; and they took their leave and
did so much that at lost Ehey came to Parts,
where they found king Philip, to whom
they recounted all their news, whereof the
king was right joyous, and sijecially to see
32
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
the king of England his cousin, for he had
never seen him before.
And when these tidings were spread
abroad in the realm of France, then dukes,
earls and other lords apparelled them in
their best manner ; and the king of France
wrote his letters to king Charles of
Bohemia his cousin and to the king of
Navarre, certifying them the day and time
when the king of England should be with
him, desiring them to be with him at the
same day : and so they came thither with
great array. Then was it counselled the
king of PVance that he should receive the
king of England at the city of Amiens.
And there to make provision for his coming
there was chambers, halls, hostelries and
lodgings made ready and apparelled to
receive them all and their company, and
also for the duke of Burgo)me, the duke
of Bourbon, the duke of Lorraine and sir
John of Artois. There was purveyance for
a thousand horse, and for six hundred
horse that should come with the king of
England.
The young king of England forgat not
the voyage that he had to do into France ;
and so he apparelled for him and his com-
pany well and sufficiently: and there de-
parted out of England in his company two
bishops, beside the bishop of London, and
four earls, the lord Henry earl of Derby,
his cousin -german, son to sir Thomas earl
of Lancaster with the wry neck, the earl
of Salisbury, the earl of Warwick and the
earl of Hereford, and six barons, the lord
Raynold Cobham, the lord Thomas Wake,
marshal of England, the lord Percy, the
lord Manne^ and the lord Mowbray, and
more than forty other knights ; so that the
king and his company were about a thou-
sand horse : and the king was two days in
passing between Dover and Wissant. Then
the king and his company rode to Bou-
logne, and there tarried one day. This
was about the mid of August the year of
our Lord God a thousand three hundred and
twenty-nine.
And anon the tidings came to king
Philip of France how the king of England
was at Boulogne. Then the king of
France sent his constable with great plenty
-^f knights to the king of England, who
"^?s name, which the translator writes
jr,* perhaps stands for ' Mohun.'
as then^was at Montreuil by the sea-side,^
and there was great tokens of love and
good cheer made on both parties. Then
the king of England rode forth with all
his rout, and in his company the constable
of France ; and he rode so long that they
came to the city of Amiens, whereas king
Philip, and the king of Bohemia, the king
of Mallorca and the king of Navarre were
ready apparelled to receive the king of
England, with many other dukes, earls
and great barons; for there was all the
twelve peers of France ready to feast and
make cheer to the king of England, and
to be there peaceably to bear witness of
the king of England's homage. There
was the king of England nobly received,
and thus these kings and other princes
tarried at Amiens the space of fifteen
days.
And in the mean time there were many
words and ordinances devised ; but as far as
I could know, king Edward of England
made his homage to the king of France all
only by word, and not putting his hands
between the king of France hands, nor
none other prince nor prelate limited for
him ; nor the king of England would not
proceed any further in doing any more con-
cerning his homage, but rather he was de-
termined to return again into England. And
there was read openly the privileges of
ancient time granted, [in] the which was de-
clared in what manner the king should do
his homage, and how and in what wise he
should do service to the king of France.
Then the king of France said, * Cousin,
we will not deceive you : this that ye have
done pleaseth us right well as for this pre-
sent time, till such time as ye be returned
again into your realm, and that ye have
seen under the seals of your predecessors
how and in what wise ye should do.*
And so thus the king of England took
his leave and departed from the king of
France right amiably, and of all other
princes that was there, and returned again
into England, and laboured so long that he
came to Windsor, where his queen received
him right joyously, and demanded tidings
of king Philip her uncle and of her lineage
of France. The king shewed her all that
he knew, and of the great cheer and honour
that he had there, and said, in his mind
^ Montreuil-sur-Mer,
HOMAGE OF EDWARD III., 1319
33
Ihere was no tealm could be coinpaied to
the realm 0/ France.
And then wilhin a space after the king
of Fiance sen! into England of Iiis special
council the liishop of Cturtres and the
Uihop of Beauvala, the lord Louia of
Clermont, the dulie of Bourbon, the earl
of Haicoutt and the earl of Tancarville,
with divers other knights and clerks, to the
coancil of England, the which was then
holden at Tendon, for the perforiiuLnce of
the king of England's homage, as ye have
beard before. And also ihe king of Eng-
land and his council had well overseen the
monner and form, how his andeol prede-
cessors had done their homage for the
duchy of Acquitaine. There were many as
then in England chat murmuied and said
bow the ting ihejr lord was nearer by true
succession of heritage to the crown of
Prance tba.n Philip of Valois, who was as
then king of France. Howbeit, the Iting
and his council would not know it nor
speak thereof as a( that time. Tims was
there great assembly, and much ado how
this homage should be performed. These
ambassadors tarried still in England all Ibal
winter, till it was the month of May follow-
ing, or they had answer definitive. How-
beit, Anally the king of England by the
advice of his council and on the sight of his
privil^es. whereunlo they gave great faith,
was determined lo write letters in the
tnanner of patents sealed with his great
seal, knowledging therein the homage that
he ought to do to the king of France, the
tenor and report of the which letters patents
(olloweth : —
' Edward, by the grace of Cod king
of England, lord of Ireland, and duke of
Acquitaine. to Ibem that these present letters
shall see or hear send greeting. We would
it be known that as we made homage at
Amiens to the right excellent prince, our
i^hl dear cousin, Philip king of France,
and there it was required by him thai we
should knowledge the said homage, and to
make it to him expressly, promising to bear
him feith and troth, the which we did not
u then, because we were nol informed of
thelrulh; we made him homage bygeoeral
words, in saying how we entered into his
humage in hke manner as our predecessors.
dukes of Guy enne, in limes past had entered
' ■ the homage of the kii^ of France for
irf"?
that time beiug ; and sith that time we have
been well informed of the truth : therefore
we knowledge by these presents that such
homage as we have made in the city of
Amiens lo the king of France in general
words was and ought lo be undcrstanded
this word, liege man ; and Ihat to him w
owe lo bear iailh and troth as duke of
Acquitaine and peer of France, earl
Ponthicu and of Monlreuil.' And lo
intent in lime coming thai there should
never be discord, for this cause we promise
for us and our successors, dukes of^Acqui-
laine. Ihat this homage be made in this
manner following. The king of England,
duke of Acquitaine, holdeth his hands
between the hands of the king of France,
and he that shall address Ihe words to the
king of England, duke of Acquitaine, shall
speak for the king of France in this
manner : Ye shall become li^e man lo the
king, my lord here present, as duke of
Guyenne and peer of France, and to him
promise lo bear faith and troth: say"Yea,"
And the king of England, duke of Guyenne,
and his successors, sailh "Yea." And then
the king of France receivelh the king of
England, duke of Guyenne, lo this said
homage as li^e man, with faith aod troth
spoken by mouth," saving his right and all
other. And fiirthermore when the said
king enlerclh in homage 10 the king of
France for the earldom of Ponthieu and
t Thfl trantbtor has made aad work here,
should bfi ; * We makE il known hereby diAL «
wc did homage iX havAan Lci the CKCellcnt pr
ii wu laid and required of in oa his pan thai
should juknow^edge ihe said homage 10 lie I
should promise eipreisly lo bcor faiih and loyally
34
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
of Montreuil, he shall put his hands between
the hands of the king of France for the
said earldom. And he that shall speak for
the king of France shall address his words
to the king and earl and say thus : Ye
shall become liege man to the king of
France, my lord here present, as earl of
Ponthieu and Montreuil, and to him pro-
mise to bear faith and troth: say "Yea."
And the king, earl of Ponthieu, saith
" Yea." Then the king of France receiveth
the king and earl to this said homage, by
his faith and by his mouth, saving his right
and all other. And after this manner it
shall be done and renewed as often as
homage should be done. And of that we
shall deliver, and our successors, dukes of
Guyenne, after these said homages made,
letters patents sealed with our great seal, if
the king of France require it : and beside
that we promise in good faith to hold and
to keep effectuously the peace and concord
made between the kings of France and
the kings of England, dukes of Guyenne/
etc.
These letters the lords of France brought
to the king their lord, and the king caused
them to be kept in his chancery.
CHAPTER XXV
How the lord sir Robert of Artois was chased
out of the realm of France.
The man in the world that most aided
king Philip to attain to the crown of
France was sir Robert earl of Artois, who
was one of the most sagest and greatest
lords in France, and of high lineage ex-
traught, from the blood royal, and had to
his wife [the] sister - german to the said
king Philip, and always was his chief and
special companion and lover in all his
estates. And the space of three year all
that was done in the realm of France was
done by his advice, and without him no-
thing was done. And after it fortuned that
this king Philip took a marvellous great
displeasure and hatred against this noble-
man sir Robert of Artois, for a plea that
was moved before him whereof the earl of
Artois was cause. ^ For he would have won
1 This should be : * Whereof the earldom of
' "tois was cause, the which the said sir Robert
his intent by the virtue of a letter that he
laid forth the which was not true, as it was
said : wherefore the king was in such dis-
pleasure, that if he had taken him in his
ire, surely it had cost him his life without
remedy. So this sir Robert was fain to
void the realm of France and went to
Namur, to the earl John his nephew.
Then the king took the earl's wife and her
two sons, who were his own nephews, John
and Charles, and did put them in prison,
and were kept straitly, and the king sware
that they should never come out of prison
as long as they lived : the king's mind
would not be turned by no manner of
means.
Then the king in his fury sent hastily to
the bishop RaouP of Liege, and desired
him at his instance that he would defy and
make war against the earl of Namur, with-
out he would put out of his country sir
Robert earl of Artois. And this bishop,
who greatly loved the king of France and
but little loved his neighbours, did as the
king desired him. Then the earl of
Namur sore against his will caused the
earl of Artois to avoid his land.
Then this earl sir Robert went to the
duke of Brabant, his cousin, who right
joyously received him and did him great
comfort : and as soon as the king of
France knew that, he sent word to the
duke that if he would sustain, maintain or
suffer the earl of Artois in his country, he
should have no greater enemy than he
would be to him, and that he would make
war against him and all his to the best of
his power with all the realm of France.
Then the duke sent the earl of Artois
privily to Argenteul, to the intent to see
what the king would do further in the case :
and anon the king knew it, for he had spies
in every corner.
The king had great despite that the duke
should so deal with him ; and within a
brief space after the king purchased so by
reason of his gold and silver, that the king
of Bohemia, who was cousin-german to the
duke of Brabant, and the bishop of Liege,
the archbishop of Col<^ne, the duke of
Gueldres, the marquis of Juliers, the earl
would have won by,' etc. The translator mistook
' la comtd ' for ' le comte/ as he has several times
done elsewhere.
1 Aoul (or Adolf) de la Marck.
WAR WITH THE SCOTS, 133a
35
uf Bar, the lord of Loqs, the lonl Fau-
quemont and divers other lords were
allied together all acainst the duke of
Brabant, and de6ed him and entered with
a great host into his country by Hesbaing,
and so catne to Hanul, itnd bient twice
over the country whereas it pleased Ihcm,
And the king of France sent with them the
earl of Eu his constable, with a p:cat host
ofm
lofar
Then the earl William of Hainault sent
his wife, sister to the king, a.nd his brother
sir John of Hainault lord Beaumont into
France to irent for 3 peace and sufferance
of war between the king and the duke of
Brabanl. And nt last the king or France
with much work consented thereto, upon
condition that the duke should put himself
utterly to abide the ordinance of the king
of France and of his council in every matter
that the king and all such as had de^ed
him had against him ; and also within a
certain day limited lo avoid out of his
rountrytheearlof Artoia: and to make short,
all this the duke did sore against his will.
CHAPTER XXVI
Ve have heard herebefore recited of the
tnice betweea England and Scotland for
the spare of Ihiee year. And so the space
of one year they kept well the peace, so
that in three hundred year before there was
not so good peace kepL Howheit king
Edward of England was mformed that the
young king David of Scotland, who had
•redded his sister, was seized of the town of
lierwick, the which ought to appertain to
the realm of England : for king Edward
ihe first, his graadfather, had It in his
possession pcflceably. Also the king was
mfbtmed that the realm of Scotland should
hold in chief of the crown of England, and
bow the young king of Scots had not done
as then his homage. Wherefore Ihe king
of CDglond sent bis ambassade to the king
of Scots, desiring htm to leave his hands
off the town of Berwick, for it pertained lo
hb heritage ; for kings of England his
predecessors have been in possession there-
of^ and also they summoned the king of
Scots to come to the king of England, to
do his homage for the realm of Scotland.
Then the king of Scots took counsel how
to answer this matter ; and linally the king
answered the English ambassadors and said,
' Sirs, both I and all the nobles of my realm
marvel greatly of that ye have required us
to do : for we find not anciently that the
realm of Scotland should anything be
bound or be subject to the realm of England,
neither by homage or any other ways r nor
the king of noble memory our father would
never do homage to the kings of England,
for any war that was made unto him hy any
of them ; no more in like wise I am in will
to do. And also king Robert oiur father
conquered the town of Berwick by force of
arms against king Edward, fiither to the
king your master that now is ; and so my
&i.ther held it all the days of his life as his
good heritage : and so in like manner we
think to do to the best of our power. How-
belt, lords, we require you lo be means lo
the king your master, whose sister we have
married, that he will suifer us peaceably to
enjoy onr franchises and rights, as his an-
cestors have done herebefore, and lo let us
enjoy that our father bath won and kept it
Cceably all his life days : and desire the
g your roaster that he would not believe
any evil counsel given him to the contrary.
For if there were any other prince that
would do us wrong, he should aid, succour
and defend us for the love of bis sister,
whom we have married.' Then these am-
bassadors answered and said, ' Sir, we have
well understanded your answer. We shall
shew it to Ihe king our lord In like manner
as ye have said.' And so took their leave
and returned into England lo the king, with
the which answer the king of England was
nothing content. Then he summoned a
parliament to be holden at Westminster,
whereas all Ihe nobles and wise men of the
realm were assembled, to determine what
should be best to be done in this matter.
And in this meantime sir Robert earl of
Artois came into England, di^uised like a
merchant, and the king received him right
joyously and retained him as one of his
council, and to him assigned the earldom
of Richmond.
And when the day of the parliament ap-
proached, and that all the nobles of the
land were assembled about London, then
36
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
the king caused to be shewed the message,
and how he had written to the king of
Scots, and of the answer of the same king.
Wherefore the king desired all the nobles of
his realm, that they would give him such
counsel as should appertain to the saving
of his honour and right. And when they
were all assembled in council, they thought
that the king might no longer bear by his
honour the injuries and wrongs that the
king of Scots did him daily : and so they
reported their advice to the king, exhorting
him to provide for his force and strength of
men of war, to attain thereby the town of
Berwick, and to enter into the realm of
Scotland in such wise, that he should con-
strain the king of the Scots to be joyful to
come and do his homage to him. And so
all the nobles and commons of the realm of
England said they would gladly and will-
ingly go with him in that journey. And of
their good wills the king thanked them
greatly, and desired them to be ready ap-
parelled at a day assigned, and to assemble
together at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. And
then every man went home and prepared
for that journey.
Then the king sent again other ambassa-
dors to the king of Scots his brother-in-
law, sufficiently to summon him ; and if he
would not be otherwise advised, then the
king gave them full authority to defy him.
And so the day of the assembly of the king's
host approached, at the which day the king
of England and all his host arrived at New-
castle-upon-Tyne, and there tarried three
days for the residue of his host that was
coming after. And on the fourth day he
departed with all his host toward Scotland,
and passed through the lands of the lord
Percy and of the lord Neville, who were
two great lords in Northumberland, and
marched on the Scots. And in like wise so
did the lord Ros and the lord Lucy and
the lord Mowbray. Then the king and all
his host drew toward the city of Berwick,
for the king of Scotland made no other
answer to these second messengers, but as
he did to the first ; wherefore he was openly
defied and summoned.
And so the king of England and his host
entered into Scotland ; for he was counselled
♦V»at he should not tarry at siege at Berwick,
•ide forth and to burn the country,
id&ther did. And so he did ; in
which journey he wasted and destroyed all
the plain country of Scotland, and exiled
divers towns that were closed with dikes
and with pales, and took the strong castle
of Edinburgh and set therein a garrison ;
and so passed the second river in Scotland,
under Stirling, and ran over all the country
thereabout to Scone, and destroyed the good
town of Dunfermline ; but they did no evil
to the abbey, for the king of England com-
manded that no hurt should be done thereto :
and so the king conquered all the country
to Dundee and to Dumbarton, a strong castle
standing on the marches against the wild
Scots, whereas the king of Scots and the
queen his wife were withdrawn unto for
surety. For there were no Scots that would
appear afore the Englishmen ; for they were
all drawn into the forests of Gedworth, the
which were inhabitable, and specially for
them that knew not the country ; wherein
all the Scots were, and all their goods, and
so they set but a little by all the remnant.
And it was no marvel though they were thus
driven, for the king their lord was but fifteen
year of age, and the earl of Moray was but
young,* and the nephew of William Douglas'
that was slain in Spain was also of the same
age ; so as at that time the realm of Scot-
land was dispurveyed of good captains.
And when the king of England had run
over all the plain country of Scotland and
tarried there the space of six months, and
saw that none would come against him,
then he garnished divers castles that he had
won, and thought by them to make war to
all the other. Then he withdrew feir and
easily toward Berwick, and in his returning
he won the castle of Dalkeith, pertaining to
the heritage of the earl Douglas. It was a
five leagues from Edinburgh, and therein
the king set good captains and then rode
small journeys till he came to Berwick, the
which is at the entry of Scotland. And
there the king laid round about his siege,
and said he would never depart thence till
he had won it, or else the king of Scots to
come and to raise his siege perforce.
And within the town there were good
men of war, set there by the king of Scots.
Before this city there were many assaults
and sore scrim mishes nigh every day ; for
they of the city would not yield them up
simply, for always they thought to be res-
1 ' Plus jeune,' says Froissart.
^^^HS : honrbnt Ibere was no succour ap-
' ^^Wlred, The Scots on mominES nnd nights
' made many slciycs to trouble the host, but
liltle hurl Ihej did ; for the English host
WHS BO well kept that the Scots couid not
enter but to their damage, and oftentimes
lost of their men.
And when ihey of Berwick saw thai no
comfort nor aid came to them from any part,
and that their victuals began to fail, and
how they were enclosed both by water and
by land, then ihey began to fall in a tieaty
with the king of Eogland, and desired a,
Imcs to endure s month : and if within the
month king David theii lord, or some
olhec for him, come not by force to raise
the siege, ihen they to render up the cily,
Iheir lives and gomls saved, and that the
soldiers within might safely go into their
couQtiy without any damage.
This treaty was not lightly granted ; for
the king of England would have had them
yielded simply, to have had his pleasure of
some of them, because they had held so
long against him : but finally he was con-
tent by the counsel of his lords. And also
sir Robert of Artois did put thereto his
pain, who had been all that journey with
the king, and had shewed him always how
he was next inheritor to the crown of France.
He would gladly that the king should have
made war into France, and aleft the wars
of Scothtnd. So his words and others in-
clined greatly the king lo condescend to
the treaty of Berwick ; so this truce and
treaty was granted. Then they within the
city sent word to their king in what case
they stood ; but for all that they could find
no remedy to raise the siege ; so the city
was delivered up at the end of the month,
and also the castle ; snd the marshals of the
host look possession Ibr the king of Eng-
land, and the burgesses of the city came and
ilid their fealty and homage to the king,
and swaie to hold of him. Then after the
king entered with great solemnity and tarried
there twelve days, and made a captain there
called sir Edward Ballio! : and when the
king departed, he left wilh the said knight
ccnain young knights and squires, to help
to keep the lands that he had conquered of
the Scots and the frontiers thereof.
Then the king and his people relumed
lo London, and every man into their own
md the king went to Windsor,
CAPTURE OF BERWICK, 1333
and sir Robert of Artois with him, who
never ceased day nor night in shewing the
king what right he had lo the crown of
France ; and the king hearkened gladly lo
Thus in this season the king of England
won the most part of the realm of Scotland,
who had many expert knights about him :
among other was sir William Montague
and sir Walter of Manny ; they were hardy
knights and did many deeds of arms against
the Scots. And the better to have their
entry into Scotland, they fortified the
bastide of Roxburgh and made it a strong
castle, and sir William Montague did so
well in all his enterprises that the king
made him earl of Salisbury and married
him nobly. And also the lord of Manny
was mode of the king's privy council and
well advanced in the court.
True it was that some of the knights
of Scotland did ever the annoyance they
could to the Englishmen, and kept them
in the wild country among marishes and
great forests, so that no man couid follow
them. Some season the Englishmen fol-
lowed Ihem so near, that all day they
scrimmished together ; and in a scnmmish
this said lord William Montague lost one
of his eyen. In the said forest the old king
Robert of Scotland did keep himself, when
king Edward the first conquered nigh all
Scotland, for he was so often chased that
none durst lodge him in castle nor fortress
for fear of the said king. And ever when
the king was letamed into England, then he
would gather together again his people, and
conquer towns, castles and fortresses, just
lo Berwick, some by battle and some by
fair speech and love. And when the said
king Edward heard thereof, then would
he assemble his power and win the realm
of Scotland again. Thus the chance went
between these two foresaid king^. It was
shewed me how that iliis king Robert
won and lost his realm five times. So this
continued till the said king Edward died
at Berwick. And when he saw that he
should die, he called before him his eldest
son, who was king after him, and there
before all the barons he caused him to
swear that as soon as he were dead, that
he should take his body and boil it in a
cauldron, till the flesh departed clean from
the bones ; and then to bury the flesh and
38
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
keep still the bones ; and that as often as the
Scots should rebel against him, he should
assemble his people against them, and
carry with him the bones of his father : for
he believed verily that if they had his bones
with them, that the Scots should never
attain any victory against them. The which
thing was not accomplished ; for when the
king was dead, his son carried him to
London, and there he was buried.^
CHAPTER XXVII
How king Philip of France and divers other
kings made a croisey to the Holy Land.
Now let us return to our first purpose.
When king Philip returned from Paris,
after that the king of England had been
there,* he went to visit his realm ; and in
his company the king of Bohemia and the
king of Navarre, with many dukes, earls
and lords, for he held great estate and
noble. So he rode through Burgoyne
till he came to Avignon, where he was
honourably received of pope Benedict and
of all the college, and did him as much
honour as they could : and he tarried a
long space there, and was lodged at Ville-
neuve without Avignon. In the same season
the king of Aragon came to the court of
Rome, and there was great cheer and feast
made at their meeting, and there they were
all the Lent season. And in that season
tidings came to the court of Rome, that the
enemies of God were greatly strong, and
had nigh conquered all the realm of Kasse,
and taken the king there, who was before
become Christian, and made him to die by
a great martyrdom ; and also these infidels
sore did menace Christendom. And on
the Good Friday the pope himself preached
of the passion of God before these kings,
exhorting them to take on them the cross
against the Saracens; so that the French
king moved with pity took on him the
cross, and desired the pope to agree thereto.
The pope accorded and confirmed it with
his absolution de pena et culpa^ clean con-
fessed and repentant.* So thus the king
1 Froissart adds : ' Wherefore mischief befel him
after, as ye have heard.'
2 The original does not imply that the king of
-* had visited Paris.
"« Che pope granted and confirmed it, with
took on him this voyage, and with him the
king Charles of Bohemia, the king of
Navarre, and king Peter of Aragon, with
many dukes, earls, barons, knights and
squires, and also the cardinal of Naples,
the cardinal of Perigord, the cardinal
Blanc, and the cardinal of Ostia. And
anon after, this croisey was preached and
published abroad in the world, the which
tidings was great pleasure to many lords,
and specially to such as were in mind to
dispend their season in deeds of arms.
When the French king and these said
lords had been a certain space with the
pope and had devised and confirmed their
enterprise, then they departed from the
court and took their leave ; and the king of
Aragon went into his country, and the
French king in his company, till they
came to Montpellier, and there tarried a
certain space. And there king Philip of
France made a peace between the king of
Aragon and the king of Mallorca, and
then returned into France by small journeys
at great dispense, and visited his towns and
castles, and passed through Auvergne,
Berry, Beauce and Gatinois, and so came
to Paris, whereas he was received with
great feast and glory. At that time France
was rich, in great puissance and in good
rest and peace : there was no war spoken of.
This croisey thus taken by the French
king, whereof he was as chief, there were
divers lords in sundry countries by great
devotion took on them the same. The
French king made the greatest apparel for
his voyage that ever was seen, either in
Godfrey de Boulogne's days or any other,
and had prepared in certain ports, as at
Marseille, Aigues-Mortes, at Narbonne,
and about Montpellier such a number of
vessels, ships, carracks and galleys, suffi-
cient to pass over sixty thousand men of
arms with all their purveyances, well pro-
vided of biscuit, wine, fresh water, salt
flesh, and all other things necessary for
men of war, to endure three years, if need
were.
And the French king sent certain mes-
sengers to the king of Hungary, desiring
him to be ready and to open the passages
condition that he would absolve from pain and
fault those who should truly confess themselves and
repent, the king of France first and also all those
who should go with him on this holy voyage.'
EDWARD-S DESIGNS ON FRANCE, 1337
39
of his couulry to receive the pilgrims ol
God. The king of Hungary was glad
thereof, and said how he was all ready.
In like wise the French king sent to tht
king of Cypms and also to the king of
Sicfiy and ta the Veaetians. In Uke
manner they answered that I hey were
ready to obey, and the Genoways and all
they on the river of Genes.' And also the
king sent the great prior of France to the
isle of Rhodes to prepiite nil things necessary
in those quarters, and they of the Rhodes
accorded with the Venelians to provide
things necessary in the isle of Crete, the
which was under their sejgnory. Briefly,
every country was ready prepared to receive
the pilgrims of God. There were more
than three hundred thousand persons that
look on them the cross to go in this nohle
voyage over the sea.
^B^owk:
CHAITER XXVIII
In this season, when this croisey was in
great forwardness, for there was no speak-
ing but thereof, sir Robert of Artois was
as then in England, banished out of
France, and was ever about king Edward ;
and always he counselled him to dety the
French king, who kept his heritages from
him wrongiully ; of the which matter the
king oftentimes counselled with them of
his secret council, for gladly he would
have had his right, an if he wist how ; and
also he thought that if he should demand
his right and it refused, what he mieht do
then to amend it ; for if he should then sit
still and do not his devoir to recover his
right, he should be more blamed than
before. Yet he thought it were heller to
speak not thereof, for he saw well that by
the puissance of his realm it would he hard
for him to suWue the great reahn of
France, without help of some other gi
lords either of the Empire or in other pla
for bis money.
The king oftenlimes desired counsel of
his chief and special friends and councillors.
Pioally. bis councillors answered him and
said, ' Sir, the matter is so weighty and of
so high an enterprise, that we dare not
speak therein, nor give you any counsel.
But, sir, this we would counsel you to do :
send sufficient messengers, well informed
of your intention, to the earl of Hainault,
whose daughter ye have married, and to
sir John of Hainault his brother, who hath
valiantly served you at all times ; and desire
them by way of love that they would coun-
sel you in this matter : for Ihey know better
what perlaineth lo such a matter than we
do. And, sir, if they agree to your intent,
then will they counsel you what friends ye
may best make.' The king was content
with this answer, and desired the bishop of
Lincoln to lake on him Ibis message, and
with him two bannerets and two doctors.
They made them ready and took shipping
and arrived at Dunkirk, and rode through
Flanders till they came to Valenciennes,
where they found the earl lying in his bed
sick of the gout, and with him sir John
his brother. They were greatly feasled,
and declared the cause of their coming,
and shewed all the reasons and doubts that
the king their master had made. Then
the earl said, 'As help me God, if the
king's mind might be brought lo pass, I
would be right glad thereof: for I had
rather the wealth of him that hath married
my daughter than of him that never did
nothing for me, though I have married his
sister ; and also he did let the marriage of
the young duke of Brabant, who should
have married one of my daughters : where-
fore I shall not fail lo aid my dear and well-
beloved son the king of England. I shall
give him counsel and aid lo the heal of my
power, and so shall do John my brother,
who hath served him or this. Howbeil he
must have more help than ours ; for Hai-
nault is but a small country as lo the regard
of the realm of France, and England is &r
offtoaidus.' Then the bishop said, 'Sir,
we ihank you in our master's behalf of the
comfort that ye give us ; sir, we desire you
lo give out master counsel, what friends he
were best to labour unto to aid him.'
' Snrely,' said the earl, 'I cannot devise a
puissant prince lo aid him than the
duke of Brabant, •>
D -german.
nd also the bishop of Liege, Ihe duke of
Gueldies, who hath his sister to hiswl"
the archbishop of Cologne, the marq
40
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
of Juliers, sir Arnold de Baquehem and
the lord of Fauquemont. These lords be
they that may make most men of war in
short space of any that I know : they are
good men of war, they may well make ten
thousand men of war, so they have wages
thereafter : they are people that would
gladly win advantage. If it were so that
the king my son, your master, might get
these lords to be on his part, and so to
come into these parts, he might well go
over the water .of Oise and seek out king
Philip to fight with him.* With this answer
these ambassadors returned into England to
the king and reported all that they had
done, whereof the king had great joy and
was well comforted.
These tidings came into France and
multiplied little and little, so that king
Philip's enterprise of the said croisey began
to assuage and wear cold, and he counter-
manded his officers to cease of making of
any further provision, till he knew more
what king Edward would do. Then king
Edward ordained ten bannerets and forty
other knights and sent them over the sea
to Valenciennes, and the bishop of Lincoln
with them, to the intent to treat with the
lords of the Empire, such as the earl of
Hainault had named. When they were
come to Valenciennes, each of them kept a
great estate and port, and spared nothing,
no more than if the king of England had
been there in proper person, whereby they
did get great renown and praise. They
had with them young bachelors, who had
each of them one of their eyen closed with
a piece of silk : it was said how they had
made a vow among the ladies of their
country, that they would not see but with
one eye, till they had done some deeds of
arms in France : howbeit they would not
be known thereof.
And when they had been well feasted at
Valenciennes, then the bishop of Lincoln
and part of his company went to the duke
of Brabant, who feasted them greatly and
agreed and promised to sustain the king of
England and all his company in his country,
so that he might go and come armed and
unarmed, at his pleasure, and to give him
the best counsel he could. And also, if
the king of England would defy the French
king, that he would do the same, and enter
into the country of France with men of war.
so that their wages might be borne, to the
number of a thousand men of arms.
Thus then the lords returned again
to Valenciennes, and did so much by
messengers and by promise of gold and
silver, that the duke of Gueldres, who was
the king's brother-in-law, and the marquis
of Juliers, the archbishop of Cologne and
Waleran his brother, and the lord of
Fauquemont came to Valenciennes to speak
with these lords of England before the earl
of Hainault and the lord John his brother.
And by the means of a great sum of florins,
that each of them should have for them-
selves and for their men, they made promise
to defy the French king and to go with the
king of England when it pleased him, with
a certain men of war ; promising also to
get other lords to take their part for wages,
such as be beyond the river of Rhine and
be able to bring good numbers of men of
war. Then the lords of Almaine took
their leave and returned into their own
countries, and the Englishmen tarried still
with the earl of Hainault, and sent certain
messengers to the bishop of Liege and
would gladly have had him on their party ;
but he would never be against the French
king, for he was become his man and
entered into his fealty. King Charles of
Bohemia was not desired, for they knew
well he was so firmly joined with the
French king by reason oi the marriage of
John duke of Normandjr, who had to wife
the king's daughter, whereby they knew well
he would do nothing against the French
king.
CHAPTER XXIX
How that Jaques d'Artevdd governed all
Flanders.
In this season there was great discord
between the earl of Flanders and the
Flemings : for they would not obey him,
nor he durst not abide in Flanders but in
great peril. And in the town of Gaunt
there was a man, a maker of honey, ^ called
1 'Qui avoit est^ brasseur de miel,' 'who had
been a brewer of mead.' It seems probable that
Jaques d'Arteveld, who belonged to the craft of
weavers and exercised like his father the dis-
tinguished trade of a cloth-merchant, inscribed him-
self as * brasseur ' only in order to conciliate the
support of the ' petits metiers.'
JAQUES l^ARTEVELD
lilts d 'Arte veld ; he was entered into
'i fortune and gtlll^e df the people, that
thing was done that he devised; he
;l;Ii( command whol he would through all
l^.inders, for there was none, though he
were never so great, that durst disobey his
rnnitnandmenL He had always going with
fjin up and down in Gaunt sixw or fotu'-
inte varleta armed, and amone them there
«ere three ot four that knew the secretness
|)f his mind, so that if he met a person that
be haled, or had him in suspicion, in-
(ODtinent he was slain : for he had com-
I Handed his secret varlets, that whensoever
ke met any person and made such a sign to
Ihera, tbat incontinent they should slay him,
I whatsoever he were, without any
_. .St speak against anything
that he would have done, so that every nun
was glad to make him good cheer. And
tbese varlets, when (hey had brought him
home to his house, then they should go to
dinner where they list, and after dinner
lelutn again into the street before his
lodging, and there abide till he come out,
and to wait on him till aupper-time. These
soldiers had each of them four groats
Flemish by the day, and were truly paid
weekly. Thus he had in every town
loldiers and servants at his wages, ready
la do his commandment and to espy if
there were any person that would rebel
against his mind, and to inform him thereof:
and as soon as he knew arwsuch, he would
never cease till they were banished or slain
without respite. All such great men, as
knights, squires or burgesses of good towns,
as he thought favourable to the earl in any
manner, he banished them out of Flanders,
nod would levy the moiety of their lands to
fcis own use and the other half to their
wives and children. Such as were banished,
of whom there were a great number, abode
at Saint -Omer's'.'
To speak properly, there was never in
Flanders nor in none other country, prince,
duke nor other that ruled a country so
peaceably so long as this Jaques d'Arteveld
did rule Flanders. He levied the rents,
•inoges and rights that pertained to the
' Thee
filled It!
dm-Orae
earl thronghoat all Flanders, and spended
all at his pleasure without any account
making, And when he would say that he
lacked money, they Iwlieved him, and so
it behoved them to do, for none durst say
against him ; when he would borrow any-
thing of any burgess, there was none durst
say him nay.
These English ambassadors kept an
honourable estate at the town of Valen-
ciennes : they thought it should be a great
comfort to the king their lord, if they might
get the Flemings to take their part. Then
they took counsel of the earl in that matter,
and he answered that truly it should be one
of the greatest aids that they could have ;
bu t, he said , he thought their labour in that
behalf could not prevail without they get
first the good-will of Jaques d'Arteveld.
Then they said they would assay what they
could do ; and so thereupon they departed
from Valenciennes and went into Flanders,
and departed into three or four companies ;
some went to Bruges, some to Vprcs, and
some to Gaimt : and they all kept such port
and made so lar^ dispense, that it seemed
that silver and gold fell out of their hands ;
and made many great promises and olTers
fo them that they spake to for that matter.
And the bishop with a certain with him
went to Gaunt, and he did so much, what
with fair words and otherwise, that he gat
the accord of Jaques d'Arteveld and did
get great grace in the town, and specially
of an old knight that dwelt in Gannt, who
was there light well beloved, called the
lord Courtrisien,' a knight banneret, and
was repnted for a hardy knight and had
always served truly his lords. This knight
did much honour to the Englishmen, as a
valiant knight ought to do to all strangers.
Of this he was accused to the French king,
who incontinent sent a strait command-
ment to the earl of Flanders, that he
should send for this said knight, and as
soon as he had him, to strike off his head.
The earl, who durst not break the king's
commandment, did so much that this
knight came to him at his sending, as be
that thought none evil : and incontinent he
was taken, and his head stricken off ; where-
of many folks were sorry and were sore
displeased with the earl, for he was well
beloved with the lords of the country.
■ Sohier de CoUHray,
1
42
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
These English lords did so much that
Jaques d' Arteveld divers times had together
the counsels of the good towns ^ to speak
of the besynes that these lords of England
desired, and of the franchises and amities
that they offered them in the king of
England's behalf. So often they spake of
this matter, that finally they agreed that the
king of England might come and ^o into
Flanders at his pleasure. Howbeit they
said they were so sore bound to the French
king, that they might not enter into the
realm of France to make any war, without
they should forfeit a great sum of florins :
and so they desired that they would be
content with this answer as at that time.
The English lords returned again to Valen-
ciennes with great joy. Oftentimes they
sent word to the king of England how they
sped, and ever he sent them gold and silver
to bear their charges and to give to the lords
of Almaine, who desired nothing else.
In this season the noble earl of Hainault
died, the sixth day of June the year of our
Lord Mcccxxxvii., and was buried at
the Friars in Valenciennes. The bishop of
Cambray sang the mass : there were many
dukes, earls and barons, for he was well
beloved and honoured of all people in his
life days. After his decease the lord
William his son entered into the counties of
Hainault, Holland and Zealand, who had
to wife the daughter of duke John of
Brabant, and had to name Jahane. She
was endowed with the land of Binche, the
which was a right fair heritage and a pro-
fitable; and the lady Jahane her mother
went to Fontenelles on I'Escault, and there
used the residue of her life in great devotion
in the abbey there, and did many good
deeds.
CHAPTER XXX
How certain nobles of Flanders kept the isle
of Cadsand against the Englishmen.
Of all these ordinances and comforts that
the king of England had got on that side
of the sea, king Philip of France was well
informed of all the matter, and would
gladly have had the Flemings on his part.
1 'Consulz des bonnes villes,' i.e. deputies repre-
senting them. It is the word used for the burgesses
in the English parliament, see chap. 14.
But Jaques d'Arteveld had so surmounted
all manner of people in Flanders, that none
durst say against his opinion ; nor the earl
himself durst not well abide in the country,
for he had sent the countess his wife and
Louis his son into France for doubt of the
Flemings.
In this season there were in the isle of
Cadsand certain knights and squires of
Flanders in garrison, as sir Ducre^ of
Halewyn, sir John de Rhodes and the sons
of Le Trief ; they kept that passage against
the Englishmen and made covert war,
whereof the English lords being in Hainault
were well informed, and how that if they went
that wayhomeward into England, theyshould
be met withal to their displeasure : where-
fore they were not well assured. Howbeit
they rode and went about the country at their
pleasure ; all was by the comfort of Jaques
d'Arteveld, for he supported and honoured
them as much as he might. And after
these lords went to Dordrecht in Holland,
and there they took shipping to eschew the
passage of Cadsand, whereas the garrison
was laid for them by the commandment of
the French king. So these English lords
came again into England, as privily as they
could, and come to the king, who was right
i'oyous of their coming ; and when he
leard of the garrison of Cadsand, he said
he would provide for them shortly ; and
anon after he ordained the earl of Derby,
sir Walter Manny and divers other knights
and squires, with five hundred men of arms
and two thousand archers, and they took
shipping at London in the river of Thames.
The first tide they went to Gravesend, the
next day to Margate, and at the third tide
they took the sea and sailed into Flanders.
So they apparelled themselves and came
near to Cadsand.
CHAPTER XXXI
Of the battle of Cadsand between the
Englishmen and the Frenchmen.
When the Englishmen saw the town of
Cadsand before them, they made them
ready and had wind and tide to serve them.
And so in the name of God and Saint
1 'Ducre' seems to be a title. The person in
question is called by B'roissart ' Mcssires Jehans
dit Ducres de Halluin.'
1* GeotS
BATTLE OF CADSAND, 1337
43
' Geoi^e they approached, and blew np their
. Ihdi
uchers before thei
uid sailed toward the town. They of
Cadsand sawwell thi; great ship' approach ;
ihey knew well that Iheywere Englishmen,
and arranged Ihem on the dikes and on the
sands with theur banners before them, and
they made sixteen new knights. They
were a. live thonsand men of war, good
knights and squires : there was sir Gny of
Flanders, a good and a sure knight, but he
was a lia.'itard, and he desired al! his com-
pany lo do well their devoir ; and also
there
ho
and sir John of Bnigdam, who \
there made knightB, and Peter of In
munsler, with many other knigbts
squires, expert men of arms.
The Englishmen were desirous to assail
and the Flemings to defend. The English
archers began to shout and cried theii
cries, sci that such as kept the passage wert
lain perforce to recnle back. At this firsi
assani t there were divers sore hntt, and the
Englishmen took land and came anil
fought hand to hand. The Flemings fought
vabantly to defend the passage, and the
Englishmen assaulted chivalrously. Th<
eail of Derby was that day a good knight,
and at the first assault he was so forward
that he was stricken to the earth ; and then
the lord of Mantiy did him great comfort
fur by pure feat of^arms he relieved him u]
again and brought him out of peril, and
cried, ' Lancaster tor the earl of Derby 1 '
Then they approached on every part ; and
many were hurt, but more of the Fleminfp
than of the Englishmen, for the archers ;' "
TO wholly together,' that they did to
Flemings much damage.
Thus in the haven of Cadsand there
1 sore battle : for the Flemings were good
men of war, chosen out by the earl of
Flanders to defend that pass^e against thi
_. .. . Villani, speiing cf Iho Englii
1. Hiyi that iW shot three aiiows for 01
Englishmen ; and of England there was the
1 of Derby, son to the earl Henry, of
ncasler with the wry neck, the eail of
Suffolk, sic Raynold G)bham, air Louis
Beauchamp, sir William Fiti-Warin, the
lord Berkeley, sir Walter Manny and
divers other. There was a soce battle uid
well foughten hand to band 1 but finally the
Flemings were put to the chase, and were
slain more than three thousand, what in the
haven, streets and houses. Sir Guy the
bastard of Flanders was taken ; and air
Ducre de Halewyn and sir John de
Rhodes were slain, and the two brethren of
Brugdam, and sir Giles de Le Trief and
more than twenty-six knights and squires ;
and the town taken and pilled, and all the
goods and prisoners put into the ships, and
the town brent. And so thus the English-
men returned into England without any
damage. The king caused sir Guy bastard
of Flanders to swear and to bind himself
prisoner, and in the same year he became
English, and did faith and homage to the
king of England.
CHAPTER XXXII
After this discomfiture at Cadsand tidings
thereof spread abroad in the country, and
they of Flanders said that without reason
and against their wills the earl of Flanders
bad laid there that garrison ; and Jaques
d'Arteveld would not it had been otherwise :
and incontinent he sent messengers to
king Edvrard, recommending him to his
grace with all bis heart, counselling him to
come thither and to pass the sea, certifying
him how the Flemings greatly desired to
see him.
Thus the king of England made great
purveyances ; and when the winter was
past, he took the sea, well accompanied
with dukes,' earls and barons, and divers
other knights, and arrived at the town of
Antwerp, as then pertaining to the duke
of Brabant. Thither came people from all
parts to see him and the great estate that
he kept. Then he sent to his cousin the
duke of Brabant, and to the duke of
I 1 The original has no 'dulies."
44
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Gueldres, to the marquis of Juliers, to the
lord John of Hainault, and to all such as
he trusted to have any comfort of, saying
how he would gladly speak with them.
They came all to Antwerp between Whit-
suntide and the feast of Saint John. And
when the king had well feasted them, he
desired to know their minds, when they
would begin that they had promised, re-
quiring them to despatch the matter briefly.
For that intent, he said, he was come
thither and had all his men ready, and how
it should be a great damage to him to defer
the matter long. These lords had long
counsel among them, and finally they said,
* Sir, our coming hither as now was more
to see you than for anything else. We be
not as now purveyed to give you a full
answer : by your licence we shall return to
our people and come again to you at your
pleasure, and then give you so plain an
answer that the matter shall not rest in us.*
Then they took day to come again a
three weeks after the feast of Saint John.
The king shewed them what charges he was
at with so long abiding, thinking when
he came thither that they had been full
purveyed to have made him a plain answer,
saying how that he would not return into
England till he had a full answer. So
thus these lords departed, and the king
tarried in the abbey of Saint Bernard ; and
some of the English lords tarried still at
Antwerp to keep the king company, and
some of the other rode about the country in
great dispense. The duke of Brabant
went to Louvain, and there tarried a long
time, and oftentimes he sent to the French
king, desiring him to have no suspicions to
him, and not to believe any evil information
made of him ; for by his will, he said, he
would make none alliance nor covenant
against him ; saying also that the king of Eng-
land was his cousin-german, wherefore he
might not deny him to come into his country.
The day came that the king of England
looked to have an answer of these lords :
and they excused them, and said how they
were ready and their men, so that the duke
of Brabant would be ready for his part,
saying that he was nearer than they, and
that as soon as they might know that he
were ready, they would not be behind, but
at the beginning of the matter as soon as
he. Then the king did so much that he
spake again with the duke, and shewed him
the answer of the other lords, desiring him
by amity and lineage that no fault were
found in him, saying how he perceived well
that he was but cold in the matter, and
that without he were quicker and did other-
wise, he doubted he should lose thereby the
aid of all the other lords of Almaine through
his default. Then the duke said he would
take counsel in the matter ; and when he
had long debated the matter, he said how he
should be as ready as any other, but first
he said he would speak again with the
other lords : and he did send for them,
desiring them to come to him whereas they
pleased best. Then the day was appointed
about the mid of August, and this coun-
cil to be at Hal, because of the young earl
of Hainault, who should also be there, and
with him sir John of Hainault his uncle.
When these lords were all come to this
parliament at Hal, they had long counsel
together. Finally they said to the king of
England : * Sir, we see no cause why we
should make defiance to the French king,
all things considered, without ye can get
the agreement of the emperor, and that he
would command us to do so in his name.
The emperor may well thus do, for of long
time past there was a covenant sworn and
sealed, that no king of France ought to
take anything pertaining to the Empire ;
and this king Philip hath taken the castle
of Crevecoeur in Cambresis and the castle
of Arleux in Palluel, and the city of
Cambray ; ^ wherefore the emperor hath
good cause to defy him by us. Therefore,
sir, if ye can get his accord, our honour
shall be the more. * And the king said he
would follow their counsel.
Then it was ordained that the marquis
of Juliers should go to the emperor, and
certain knights and clerks of the king's,
and some of the council of the duke of
Gueldres ; but the duke of Brabant would
send none from him, but he lent the castle
of Louvain to the king of England to lie
in. And the marquis and his company
found the emperor at Nuremburg and
shewed him the cause of their coming.
And the lady Margaret of Hainault did all
her pain to further forth the matter, whom
1 A better reading is, 'and divers other heritages
in the said county of Cambresis,' without any
mention of the city of Cambray.
EDWARD in. VICAR OF THE EMPIRE, 133S
M Louis of Bavaria, then emperor, had
ivcdded. And there the marquis of Juliers
v,as made an earl,' and the duke of
Cueldres, who before was an eatl, was
then made a duke. And the emperor gave
iimraisaion to four knighls and to two
Joclors of his council to make king Edward
uf England his vicar-general throughout all
llic Empire, and thereof these said lords
had insticments pulilic, confirmed and sealed
suflicienlJy by ihe emperor.
CHAPTER XXXIII
In this season the young king David of
Scoliand, who had lost the best part of his
land and could not recover it out of the
hold of the Englishmen, departed privily
with a small company and the queen his
wife with him, and look shipping and
arrived at Boulogne, and so rode to Paris
to Iting Philip, who greally did feast bim,
and offered him of his castles to abide in
and of hi? goods to dispend, on the
condition that he should make no peace
with the king of England without his
counsel and agreement ; for king Philip
knew well how the king of England
apparelled greatly to make him war. So
ihfls the king ihere retained king David
and ifae queen a long season, and iTiey had
aU tbat they needed at his cost and charge ;
for out of Scotland came but little substance
lo maintain withal their estates. And the
French king sent certain messengers into
Scotland 10 the lords there, snch as kept
war against the Englishmen, offering them
great aid and comfort, so that they would
lake no peace nor truce with the king of
England, without it were by his agreement
or by the accord of their own king, who
bad in like wise promised and sworn.
Then the lords of Scotland counselled
together, and joyously they accorded to his
request, and so sealed and sware with the
king their lord. Thus this alliance was
maJe between Scotland and France, the
maiJc marquis of Julii^r
. Df lull
which endured a long season after : and
the French king sent men of war into
Scotland, to keep war against the English-
men, as sir Arnold d'Audrehcm, who was
after marshal of France, and the Lord of
Garencieres, and divers other knights and
squires. The French king thought that
the Scots should give so much ado to the
realm of England, that the Englishmen
should not come over the sea to annoy him.
CHAPTER XXXIV
When the king of England and the other
lords to him allied were departed &om the
parliament of HaJ, the king went to
Louvain and made ready the castle for his
abiding, and sent for the qneen lo come
thither, if it pleased her ; for he sent her
word he would not come thence of an whole
year, and sent home certain of his knighls
to keep his land from the Scots. And the
other lords and knights that were there still
with the king rode about the realm of
Flanders and Hainault, making great dis-
pense, giving great rewards and jewels to
the lords, ladies and damusels of the
country, to get their good-wills. They
did so much uiat they were greatly praised,
and specially of the common people, because
of the port and state that they kept.
And then about the feast of All Saints
the marquis of Juliers and his company
sent word to the kii^g how they had sped ;
and the king sent to him that he should be
withhimabout the feast of SaintMartin; and
also he sent to the duke of Brabant, to know
his mind where he would the parliament
should be holden; and he answered at Herck
in the county of Loos, near to his country.
And then the king sent to all other of his
allies that they should be there. And so
the hall of the town was apparelled and
hanged as though it had been the king's
chamber ; and there the king sate crowned
with gold, five foot higher than any other,
and there openly was read the letters of the
emperor, by the which the king was made
vicar-general and lieutenant for the emperor,
and had power given him to make laws and
to minister justice to every person
1
46
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
emperor's name, and to make money of
gold and silver. The emperor also there
commanded by his letters that all persons
of his Empire and all other his subjects
should obey to the king of England his
vicar, as to himself, and to do him homage.
And incontinent there was claim and answer
made between parties, as before the emperor,
and right and judgment given. Also there
was renewed a judgment, and a statute
affirmed, that had been made before in the
emperor's court ; and that was this, that
whosoever would any hurt to other should
make his defiance three days before his
deed, and he that did otherwise should be
reputed as an evil-doer and for a villain's
deed. And when all this was done, the
lords departed and took day that they should
all appear before Cambray three weeks after
the feast of Saint John; the which town
was become French.
Thus they all departed and every man
went to his own. And king Edward, as
vicar of the Empire, went then to Louvain
to the queen, who was newly come thither
out of England with great nobleness and
well accompanied with ladies and damosels
of England. So there the king and the
queen kept their house right honourably all
that winter, and caused money, gold and
silver, to be made at Antwerp, great plenty.
Yet for all this the duke of Brabant left
not, but with great diligence sent often
messengers to king Philip, as the lord
Leon of Crainhem, his cnief counsellor,
with divers other, ever to excuse him ; for
the which cause this knight was oftentimes
sent, and at the last abode still in the French
court with the king, to the intent always to
excuse him against all informations that
might be made of him : the which knight
did all his devoir in that behalf.
CHAPTER XXXV
How king Edward and all his allies did defy
the French king.
Thus the winter passed and summer came,
and the feast of Saint John Baptist ap-
proached ; and the lords of England and
of Almaine apparelled themselves to ac-
complish their enterprise : and the French
king wrought as much as he could to the
contrary, for he knew much of their intents.
King Edward made all his provision in
England, and all his men of war, to be
ready to pass the sea incontinent after the
feast of Saint John ; and so they did. Then
the king went to Vilvorde, and there made
his company to be lodged, as many as
might in the town and the other without
along on the river side in tents and pavilions:
and there he tarried from Maudlin-tide till
our Lady day in September,^ abiding weekly
for the lords of the Empire, and specially
for the duke of Brabant, on whose coming
all the other abode. And when the king
of England saw how they came not, he
sent great messengers to each of them,
summoning them to come as they had
promised, and to meet with him at Mechlin
on Saint Giles' day, and then to show him
why they had tarried so long.
Thus king Edward lay at Vilvorde and
kept daily at his cost and charge well to
the number of sixteen hundred men of
arms, all come from the other side of the
sea, and ten thousand archers, beside all
other provisions ; the which was a marvel-
lous great charge, beside the great rewards
that he had given to the lords, and beside
the great armies that he had on the sea.
The French king on his part had set
Genoways, Normans, Bretons, Picards and
Spaniards to be ready on the sea to enter
into England as soon as the war were opened.
These lords of Almaine at the king of
England's summons came to Mechlin and
with much business. Finally they accorded
that ■ the king of England might well set
forward within fifteen days after ; and to
the intent that their war should be the
more laudable, they agreed to send their
defiances to the French king — first the
king of England, the duke of Gueldres,
the marquis of Juliers, sir Robert d'Artois,
sir John of Hainault, the marquis of
Meissen, the marquis of Brandebourg, the
lord oif Fauquemont, sir Arnold of
Baquehem, the archbishop of Cologne, sir
Waieran his brother, and all other lords
of the Empire. These defiances were
written and sealed by all the lords except
the duke of Brabant, who said he would do
his deed by himself at time convenient. To
bear these defiances into France was charged
the bishop of Lincoln, who bare them to
^ i.e. from 22nd July to 8th September.
WJR WITH FRANCE
47
■nil did his message in such man
could not be reproached
; and bo he had a safe-coDdLicl
P again [o his king, who was as tl
CHAPTER XXXVI
fa first week that the French king was
"■ied, sir WaJter Manny, as soon as
r it, he gat to him a forty spears
: through Bratiant night and day,
^__ ime into Hainault and entered into
I Jewood of Blaton, as Ihen not knowing
lihai. he should do. But he had shewed
16 soDie of them thai were most privies!
ibnm him, how he had protnised before
Udiet and daniosels or he came out of
England, that he would be the first that
thcild enter into France, md to get either
lawn or castle, and to do some deeds of
vtas. And then his intent was to ride to
Mortage and to get it if he might, the
which pertained then to the realm of
Fiance : and so rode and passed the wood
of Blalon, and came in a morning before
ibe 5un-rising to Mortagne, and by adven-
^ ' E found the wicket of the gate open.
pany to keep the gate, and so went into
the high street with his pennon before him
and came lo the great lower, but the gate
and wicket was fast closed. And when the
■atch of the castle heard the brunt and saw
them, he blew hia horn and cried, 'Treason !
treason ! ' Then every man awoke and
made them ready, and kept themselves still
•ilhin the caslle. Then sir Walter of
Minny went back again and did set fire in
the street joining to the castle, so that there
■ere a threescore houses t»ent and the
people sore afraid, for Ihey weened a!! to
lave been taken. Then sir Walter and
litB (oinpany rode hack straight lo Conde
«nd there passed the river of Hayne. Then
they rode the way lo Valenciennes and
Caasti»l on the right hand and came to
in, and so went to the abbey, and so
1 forth lownrd Bouchain, and did so
much that the captain did let them pass
through by the river.
Then ihey came to a strong castle per-
taining lo the bishop of Cambray, called
the castle of Thun, the which suddenly
they took, and the captain and his wiic
within. And the lord Manny made a
good garrison and set therein a brother of
his called sir Giles Manny, who afterward
did much trouble to the city of Cajnbray,
for the castle was within a league of the
town. Then sir Waller Manny returned
into Brabant to the king bis sovereign
lord, whom he found at Mechlin, and there
shewed him all thai he had done.
CHAPTER XXXVII
o England.
As soon as king Philip knew that he was
defied of the king of England and of his
allies, he retained men of war on every side,
and sent the lord Galois de la Baume, a
good knight of Savoy, into the city of
Cambray, and made him captain there, and
with him sir Thiball de Moreuil and the
lord of Eoye, so that they were, what of
Savoy and of Fiance, a two hundred spears.
And king Philip sent and seized into his
hands the county of Ponlhieu, the which
Ibe king of England had before by reason
of his mother : and also he sent lo divers
lords of the Empire, as to the earl of Hai-
nault his nephew, to the duke of Lorraine,
the earl of Bar, the bishop of Mefi, the
bishop of Liege, desiring them that they
would make no evil purchase against him
or his realm. The most part of these lords
answered how they would do nothing that
should be against him ; and the earl of
Hainault wrote unto him right courteously
how that he would be ready always to aid
him and his realm against all men, but
seeing ihe king of England maketh his war
as vicar and lieutenant of the Empire, where-
fore, he said, he might not remse to him
his country nor his comfort, because he
held part of his country of the emperor.
And as soon as sir Hugh Quieret, sir
Peter Behuchel ' and Barbevaire, who lay
48
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
and kept the straits between England and
France with a great navy, knew that the
war was open, they came on a Sunday in
the forenoon to the haven of Hampton,
while the people were at mass : and the
Normans, Picards and Spaniards entered
into the town and robbed and pilled the
town, and slew divers, and defoiled maidens
and enforced wives, and charged their
vessels with the pillage, and so entered
again into their ships. And when the tide
came, they disanchored and sailed to Nor-
mandy and came to Dieppe ; and there de-
parted and divided their booty and pillages.
CHAPTER XXXVni
How king Edward besieged the city of
Cambray.
The king of England departed from
Mechlin and went to Brussels, and all his
people passed on by the town. Then
came to the king a twenty thousand
Almains, and the king sent and demanded
of the duke of Brabant what was his
intention, to go to Cambray or else to leave
it. The duke answered and said that as
soon as he knew that he had besieged
Cambray, he would come thither with
twelve hundred spears, of good men of war.
Then the king went to Nivelle and there
lay one night, and the next day to Mons in
Hainault ; and there he found the young
earl of Hainault, who received him joy-
ously. And ever sir Robert of Artois was
about the king, as one of his privy council,
and a sixteen or twenty other great lords
and knights of England, the which were
ever about the king for his honour and
estate, and to counsel him in all his deeds.
Also with him was the bishop of Lincoln,
who was greatly renowned in this journey
both in wisdom and in prowess. Thus the
Englishmen passed forth and lodged abroad
in the country, and found provision enough
before them for their money ; howbeit some
paid truly and some not.
And when the king had tarried two days
at Mons in Hainault, then he went to
Valenciennes ; and he and twelve with him
entered into the town, and no more persons.
And thither was come the earl of Hai-
nault and sir John his uncle, and the lord
of FagnoUe, the lord of Werchin, the lord
of Havreth and divers other, who were
about the earl their lord. And the king
and the earl went hand in hand to the great
hall, which was ready apparelled to receive
them ; and as they went up the stairs
of the hall, the bishop of Lincoln, who
was there present, spake out aloud and
said : * William bishop of Cambray, I
admonish you as procurer to the king of
England, vicar of the Empire of Rome, that
ye open the gates of the city of Cambray ;
and if ye do not, ye shall forfeit your lands
and we will enter by force.* There was
none that answered to that matter, for the
bishop was not there present Then the
bishop of Lincoln said again : *■ Earl of
Hainault, we admonish you in the name of
the emperor, that ye come and serve the
king of England his vicar before the city
of Cambray with such number as ye ought
to do.* The earl, who was there present,
said, * With a right good will I am ready.*
So thus they entered into the hall, and the
earl led the king into his chamber, and
anon the supper was ready.
And the next day the king departed and
went to Haspres, and there tarried two
days and suffered all his men to pass forth ;
and so then went to Cambray and lodged
at Iwuy, and besieged the city of Cambray
round about, and daily his power increased.
Thither came the young earl of Hainault
in great array, and sir John his uncle, and
they lodged near to the king, and the duke
of Gueldres and his company, the marquis
of Meissen, the earl of Mons, the earl of
Salm, the lord of Fauquemont, sir Arnold
of BaJcehem, with all the other lords of the
Empire, such as were allied with the king
of England.
And the sixth day after the siege laid
thither came the duke of Brabant with a
nine hundred spears, beside other, and he
lodged toward Ostrevant on the river of
I'Escault, and made a bridge over the water
to the intent to go from the one host to the
other. And as soon as he was come, he
sent to defy the French king, who was at
Compiegne, whereof Leon of Crainhem,
who had always before excused the duke,
was so confused, that he would no more
return again into Brabant, but died for
sorrow in France.
This siege during there were many
SIEGE OF CAMBt^.iY. 1339
49
ddnnidies ; and or John of Haioaalt aod
the toid of FanquemoDt rode evei lighlty
logdher, and bcem and wasted sore the
ooiiDlrj of Camlseas. And on a daf these
k»tU, niih the numbei of five bondrcd
speais and a thcusand of other men of war,
came to the castle of CMsy in Cambresis,
peflsiniiig to the lord of Concyi and made
there a great assault ; but they within did
ddend IheiD so valiantly, tliat they had no
daiuage ; and so the said lords returned to
Iheir Todgiogs.
The esri of Hainault and his company
on a Saturday came to the gate toward
Saint -Quentin's, and made there a great
assaulL There was John Chandos, who
was then bjt a squire, of whose prowess
this book speaketh much, he cost himself
between the barriers and Ihc gate, and
fought valiantly with a squire of Vennan-
dois called John of Saint-Disier : there was
goodly feats of arms done between them.
And so the Hainowes conquered by farce
the bails, and there was entered the earl
uf Hainault and his maishuls, sir Gerard of
Werchin, sir Henry d'Antoing and other,
who advenlnred fhem valiantly to advance
their honour. And at another gate, called
the gate Robert, was the lord Beaumont
and the lord of Fauquemont, the lord
d'Enghien, sir Walter of Manny, and their
companies, made there a sore and a hard
assault. But they of Cambray and the
soldiers set there by the French king
defended themselves and the city so
•aliantly, that the assaulters won nolhing,
but so returned right weary and well beaten
to theii lodgings. The young earl of
Mamur came thither to serve the young
earl of Hainault by desire, and he said he
would be on their part as long as they
were in the Empire, but as soon as they
entered into the realm of France, he said,
he would forsake them and go and serve
the French king, who bad retained him.
And in likewise so was the intent of the
earl of Hainault, for he had commanded
all his men on pain of death, thai none of
them should do anything within the realm
of France.
Id this season, while the king of Eng-
land lay at siege before Cambray with forty
thousand men of arms, and greatly con-
strained them by assaults, king fhilip
' ' ■ ■ Peronne in Vcrman
I
dois. And the king of England counselled
with dr Robert d'Artois, in whom he had
great affiance, demanding of him whether
It were better for him to enter into the
realm of France and to encounter his ad-
versary, or else to abide Hill before Cam-
bray, till he had won it by force. The
lords of England and such other of his
council saw well how the city was strong
and well furnished of men of war and
victuals and artillery, and that it should
be long to abide there till they had won
the city, whereof they were in no cer-
tainly ; and also they saw well how that
winter approached near, and as yet had
done no manner of enterprise, but lay at
great expense. Then they counselled the
king to set forward into the realm, whereas
they might find more plenty of forage.
This counsel wits token, and all the liuds
ordained to dislodge, and trussed tents and
pavilions and all manner of harness, and so
departed and rode toward Mount Saint-
Martin, the which was at the entry of
France. Thus they rode in good order,
every lord among his own men ; marshals
of the English host were the earl of
Northampton and Gloucester and the earl
of Suffolk, and constable of England was
the earl of Warwick. And so they passed
there the river of I'Escault at their ease.
And when the earl of Hainault had ac-
companied the king unto the departing out
of the Empire, and that he should ^sa the
river and enter into the realm of France,
that time, for king Philip his uncle had sent
for him, and he would not have his evil
will, but that he would go and serve him in
France, as he had served the Idne of Eng-
land in the Empire. So thus the earl of
Hainault and the eart of Namur and their
companies rode back to Qucsnoy. And
the earl of Hainault gave the most part of
his company leave to depart, desiring them
to be ready when he [should] send for
them, for be said that shortly after he
would go to king Philip his u
ly afte
50
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
CHAPTER XXXIX
How king Edward made sir Henry of
Flanders knight.
As soon as king Edward had passed the
river of I'Escault and was entered into the
realm of France, he called to him sir Henry
of Flanders, who was as then a young
squire, and there he made him knight, and
gave him yearly two hundred pounds ster-
ling, sufficiently assigned him ih England.
Then the king went and lodged in the
abbey of Mount Saint -Martin, and there
tarried two days, and his people abroad in
the country ; and the duke of Brabant was
lodged in the abbey of Vaucelles.
When the French king at Compiegne
heard these tidings, then he enforced his
summons, and sent the earl of Eu and of
Guines his constable to Saint-Quentin's, to
keep the town and frontiers there against
his enemies, and sent the lord of Coucy
into his own country, and the lord of Ham
to his, and sent many men of arms to
Guise and to Ribemont, to Bohain, and the
fortresses joining to the entry of the realm ;
and so went himself toward Peronne.
In the mean season that king Edward
lay at the abbey of Mount Saint- Martin,
his men ran abroad in the country to Ba-
paume and near to Peronne and to Saint-
Quentin's. They found the country
plentiful, for there had been no war of a
long season ; and so it fortuned that sir
Henry of Flanders, to advance his body
and to increase his honour, [went] on a
day with other knights, whereof sir John
of Hainault was chief, and with him the
lord of Fauquemont, the lord of Berg,
the lord of Bautersem, the lord of Cuyk
and divers other to the number of five
hundred : and they avised a town there-
by, called Honnecourt, wherein much
people were gathered on trust of the for-
tresses, and therein they had conveyed all
their goods ; and there had been sir
Arnold of Baquehem and sir William of
Duvenvoorde and their company, but they
attained nothing there.
There was at this Honnecourt an abbot
of G^reat wisdom and hardiness ; and he
caused to be made without the town a
barrier overthwart the street, like a grate,
not past half a foot wide every grate, and
he made great provisions of stones and
quicklime, and men ready to defend the
place. And these lords, when they came
thither, they lighted afoot and entered to
the barrier with their glaives in their hands,
and there began a sore assault, and they
within valiantly defended themselves.
There was the abbot himself, who received
and gave many great strokes : there was
a fierce assault : they within cast down
stones, pieces of timber, pots full of chalk,^
and did much hurt to the assailers : and
sir Henry of Flanders, who held his glaive
in his hands, and gave therewith great
strokes. At the last the abbot took the
glaive in his hands and drew it so to
him, that at last he set hands on sir
Henry's arm, and drew it so sore that he
pulled out his arm at the barrier to the
shoulder and held him at a great advan-
tage, for an the barrier had been wide
enough, he had drawn him through ; but
sir Henry would not let his weapon go for
saving of his honour. Then the other
knights strake at the abbot to rescue their
fellow : so this wrastling endured a long
space, but finally the knight was rescued,
but his glaive abode with the abbot. And
on a day, when I wrote this book, as I
passed by I was shewed the glaive by the
monks there, that kept it for a treasure.^
So this said day Honnecourt was sore
assailed, the which endured till it was
night, and divers were slain and sore hurt.
Sir John of Hainault lost there a knight of
Holland called sir Herman. When the
Flemings, Hainowes, Englishmen and Al-
mains saw the fierce wills of them within,
and saw how they could get nothing there,
withdrew themselves against night. And
the next day on the morning the king de-
parted from Mount Saint - Martin, com-
manding that no person should do any hurt
to the abbey, the which commandment
was kept And so then they entered into
Vermandois, and took that day their
1 * Chaulx,' i.e. * quicklime."
2 The fuller text has it as follows : * But his
glaive abode with the abbot by reason of his great
prowess, who kept it many years after ; and it is
still, as I believe, in the nail of Honnecourt. It
was there assuredly at the time when I wrote
this book, and it was shewed to me on a day when
I passed that way, and' I bad relation made to me
of the truth of the matter and of the manner how
the assault was made ; find the monks kept it still
as a gre^t ornament,'
EDWARD 111. ENTERS FRANCE
lodging betimes on the mount Saint-
Quenlin in good order of battle : and ihey
of Saint- Que nlin's mighl well
howbeit they had aa desire to h
their town. The fareriders came ninninE
to tbe barriers skirmishing, and the host
tarried still on the mount lili the next day.
Then the lords took counsel what way
they should draw, and by Ibe advice of the
duke of Brabant they took the way
Thierache, for that way their provis
came daily to them, and were detennined
that if king Philip did follow thi
they supposed be would do, that then
Ihey would abide him in [he pla'
and give him battle.
Thus they went forth in three great
battles : the marshals and the Almains had
the first, the king of England in the
middleword, and the duke of Brabant in
the rearward. Thus they rode forth,
brenning and pilling the country, a three
or four leagues a day, and ever took their
lodging betimes. And a company
Englishmen and Almains passed the r
of Somme by the abbey of Verniand,
waste<i the country a.11 about : another c
pany, whereof sir John of Mainault, the lord
of Fauquemont and sir Arnold of Riquehem
were chief, rode to Origny-Saint-Benoiste,
a good town, but it was but easily closed :
incontinent it was taken by assault and
robbed, and an abbey of ladies violated,
and the town brent. Then they departed
and rode toward Guise and Ribemonl, and
the king of England lodged at Boheries,
and there tarried a day, and his men ran
abroad and destroyed the countiy.
Then tbe king look the way to theFlamen-
gerie,' to come to Lescheile in Thierache ;
and the marshals ttnd the bishop of Lincoln
with a five hundred spears passed the
river of Oise and entered into Laonnois,
towajd the land of the lord of Coucy, and
brent Saint-Gobaio and the town of MarJe,
and on a night lodged in the valley beside
Loon : and the next day they drew again
to their host, for they knew by some of
Ihcir prisoners that the French king was
come to Saint- Quentin's with a hundred
thousand men, and there to pass the river
of Somme. So these lords in their return-
ing brent a good town called Crecy and
L
M Flamengni
divers other towns and hamlets there-
Now let us speak of sir John of Hainaull
and his company, who were a five hundred
spears. He came to Guise and brent all
the town and beat down the mills : and
within the fortress was the lady Jane, his
own daughter, wife to the earl of Blois
called Louis : she desired her father to
spare the heritage of the earl his son-in-
law, but for all that sir John of Hainault
would not spare his enterprise. And bo
then he returned again to the king, who
was lodged in the abbey of Fervaqucs,
and ever his people ran over the country.
And the lord of Fauquemont with i
hundred
ipears c;
oNou
nThie-
sche, a great town ; and the men of the
lown were fled into a great wood and had
all their goods with tbem, and had fortified
the wood with felling of timber about
them. The Almains rode thither, and there
met with them sir Arnold of Baquehem
and his company, and so there they assailed
them in the wood, who defended them as
well as they might ; but finally they were
conquered and put to flight ; and there
were slain and sore hurt more than forty,
and lost all that they had. Thus the
country was over-ridden, for they did what
they list.
CHAPTER XL
together.
The king of England departed from
Fervaques and went to Montreuil, and
there lodged a night, and the next day
■-e went to the Flamengerie and made
II his men to lodge neat about him,
rheteof he had more than forly thousand :
and there he was counselled to abide king
Philip and to fight with him.
The French king departed ftom Saint-
Quentin's, and daily men came to him
from all parts, and so came to Buironfosse.
There the king tarried, and said how be
would not go thence till he had fought
with tbe king of England and with his
allies, seeing they were within two leagues
together. And when the earl of Hainault,
was nt Quesnoy ready purveyed of
I
52
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
men of war, knew that the French king
was at Buironfosse thinking there to give
battle to the Englishmen, he rode forth
till he came to the French host with five
hundred spears, and presented himself to
the king his uncle, who made him but
small cheer, because he had been with his
adversary before Cambray. Howbeit the
earl excused himself so sagely, that the
king and his council were well content.
And it was ordained by the marshals, that
is to say by the marshal Bertrand and by
the marshal of Trie,^ that the earl should
be lodged next the English host.
Thus these two kings were lodged be-
tween Buironfosse and Flamengerie, in
the plain fields without any advantage. I
think there was never seen before so goodly
an assembly of noblemen together as was
there. 2 When the king of England, being
in the Chapel of Thierache,* knew how
that king Philip was within two leagues,
then he called trie lords of his host together
and demanded of them what he should do,
his honour saved, for he said that his inten-
tion was to give battle. Then the lords
beheld each other, and they desired the
duke of Brabant to shew first his intent.
The duke said that he was of the accord
that they should give battle, for otherwise,
he said, they could not depart, saving their
honours : wherefore he counselled that they
should send heralds to the French king to
demand a day of battle. Then an herald
of the duke of Gueldres, who could well
the language of French, was informed
what he should say, and so he rode till
he came into the French host. And then
he drew him to king Philip and to his
council and said, * Sir, the king of Eng-
land is in the field and desireth to have
battle, power against power.' The which
thing king Philip granted, and took the
day, the Friday next after, and as then
it was Wednesday. And so the herald
returned, well rewarded with good furred
gowns given him by the French king and
other lords because of the tidings that he
brought. So thus the journey was agreed,
1 The marshals of the French host were Robert
Bertrand and Matthieu de Trie.
2 In the fuller text it is observed that there were
in the French army four kings, France, Bohemia,
Navarre and Scotland.
3 La Capelle-en-Thi^rache, a village in the de-
partment of Aisne.
and knowledge was made thereof to all the
lords of both the hosts, and so every man
made him ready to the matter.
The Thursday in the morning there were
two knights of the earl of Hamault's, the
lord FagnoUe and the lord of Tupigny,
they mounted on their horses and they two
all only departed from the French host and
rode to aview the English host. So they
rode coasting the host, and it fortuned that
the lord of FagnoUe's horse took the bridle
in the teeth in such wise, that his master
could not rule him ; and so, whether he
would or not, the horse brought him into
the English host, and there he fell into the
hands of the Almains, who perceived well
that he was none of their company and set
on him and took him and his horse. And
so he was prisoner to a five or six gentle-
men of Almaine, and anon they set him to
his ransom. And when they understood
that he was a Hainowe, they demanded of
him if he knew sir John of Hainault, and he
answered, * Yes,* and desired them for the
love of God to bring him to his presence,
for he knew well that he would quit him
his ransom. Thereof were the Almains
joyous, and so brought him to the lord
Beaumont, who incontinent did pledge him
out from his master's hands ; and the
lord of FagnoUe returned again to the
earl of Hainault, and he had his horse
again delivered him at the request of the
lord Beaumont. Thus passed that day,
and none other thing done that ought to
be remembered.
CHAPTER XLI
How these kings ordained their battles at
Buironfosse.
When the Friday came in the morning,
both hosts apparelled themselves ready,
and every lord heard mass among their
own companies and divers were shriven.
First we will speak of the order of the
Englishmen, who drew them forward into
the field and made three battles afoot, and
did put all their horses and baggages into a
little wood behind them, and fortified it.
The first battle led ^ the duke of Gueldres,
1 Perhaps a misprint for 'had.' The original
is *eut.'
THE HOSTS AT BUIRONFOSSE
53
Ihe marqub of Meissen, ihc mnrauis of
Brandebouig, sir John of Hainaull, Ihe
eorl of Mons, the earl of Salm, the lord of
Fauqueinont, sir Williain of Duvenvoorde,
sir Arnold of Baquehem and the AlinaiiiE ;
and among Ihem was twenty -two banneis
and sixty pennons in the whole, and eight
thousand men. The second battle had Ihe
duke of Brabant and the lords and knights
of hb counlty — first the lord of Cuyk, the
lord Geig, the lord of Breda, the lord
of Rotselaer, the lord of Vorsselaer, the
lord of Borgneval, the lord of Schoonvorsl,
the lord of Witham, the lord of Aerschot,
the lord of Gaesbeck, the lord of Duffel,
sir Thierry of Wolcourl, air Rasse of Grcs,
sir John of Keslerbeke, sit John Pyliser,
sir Giles of Colerebbe, sir Walter of
Hnldebeig, the three brethren of Harle-
beke, sir Henry of Flanders, and divers
other barons and knights of Flanders, who
were all under Ihe duke of Brabant's
lanner, as Ihe lord of Halewyn, the lord
of Gnilhuse, sir Heclor Vilain, sir John
of Rhodes, sir Wulfart of Ghistelles, sir
William of Straten, sir Gossuin de la
Moere, and many other : the duke of
Brabant had a twenty-four banners and
eighty pennons, and in all a seven thousand
men. The third baltle and the createst
had Ihe king of England and with him his
cousin the earl of Derby, the bishop of
Lincoln, the bishop of Durhani, the earl
of Salisbary, the earl of Northampton, and
of Gloucester, the earl of Suffolk, sir
Robert d'Artois, as then called earl of
Richmond, the lord Raynold Cobham, the
loni Percy, Ihe lord Ros, the lord Mow-
hray, sir Lewis and sir John Beauchamp,
Ihe lord Delaware, the lord of Langton, the
lord Baeset, the lord FiKwaller, sir Waller
Manny, sir Hugh Hastings, sir John Lisle,
other was sir John Chandos, of whom much
honour is spoken in this book.' The king
had with him twenty-eight banners and
ninety pennons, and in his battle a Bix
thousand men of arms and six thousand
OBCC heHfJ Ihe Eentte knight
IhaE lie was made knighl by
Rdvitnl<^!^n£Jand on this Fj
archers ; and he had set another battle as in
a wing, whereof the earl of Warwick, the
earl of Pembroke, the lord Berkeley, the
lord Multonand divers other were as chief,
and they were on horseback.' Thus when
every lord was under bis banner, as it was
commanded by the marshals, Ihe king of
England mounted on a palfrey, accompanied
all only with sir Robert d'Artois, sir Raynolrf
Cobham and sir Walter of Manny, and
rode along before all his battles, and right
sweetly desired all bis lords and other that
they would that day aid to defend his
honour. And they all promised him so
to do. Then he returned to his own battle
and set everj'thing in good order and com-
manded that none should go before the
marshals' banners.
Now let us speak of the lords of France,
what they did. They were eleven score
banners, four kings, six dukes, twenly-six
earls, and more than four thousand knights,
and of the commons of France more than
sixty thousand. The kings thai were there
with king Philip of Valois was Ihe king of
Bohemia, Ihe king of Navarre, and kit;g
David of Scotland : the duke of Normandy,
the duke of Brelayne, the duke of Bourbon,
the duke of Lorraine and the duke of
Athens ; ' of earls, Ihe earl of Alcnjon
brother to the king, the earl of Flanders,
the carl of Hainault, the earl of Blois, the
earl of Bar, the earl of Foiei, Ihe earl of
Foix, the earl of Armagnac, Ihe earl
Dolphin of Auvergne, the earl ofjoinville,
the eorl of Etampes, Ihe carl of Vendome,
the earl of Harcourl, Ihe earl of Saint-Pol,
Ihe earl of Guines, the earl of Boulogne,
the earl of Roucy, the earl of Dammartin,
Ihe carl of Valentinois, the earl of Auxerre,
the earl of Sancerre, the earl of Geneva,
the earl of Dreux ; and of Gascoyne and of
Languedoc so many earls and
that it
long I,
II V
behold Ihe l>anners and
standards waving in the wind, and horses
barded, and knights and squires richly
armed. The Frenchmen ordained three
great battles, in each of them fifteen
thousand men of arms and twenty thousand
1 The .
iThenaniEDfthcd
e battles
THE CHROmCLES OF FROISSART
CHAPTER XLIl
It might well be marvelled how so goodly
a sight of men of wur so neiu ti^ethei
should depart without battle. But the
Frenchmen weie not all of one accord :
they were of divers opinions ; some said it
were a great shame an they fought not, see-
ing their enemies so near them in their own
country, ranged in the field, and al&o had
promised to fight with them ; ' nnd some
other said it should be a great folly to fight,
for it was hard to knnw every man's mind,
and jeopardy of treason ; ' for, they said,
if fortune were contrary to their king, as tc
lose the field, he then should put all his
whole realm in a jeopardy to he lost ; nnd
though he did discomfit his enemies ""'
for all that he should be never the n<
of the realm of England, nor of such lands
pertaining to any of those lords that be
with him allied.
Thus in striving of divers opinions the
day passed till it was past noon ; and then
suddenly there started an hare among the
frenchmen, and such as saw her cried and
made great bruit, whereby such as were
behind thought they before had been fight-
ing, and so put on their helms and took
Clieir spears in their hands ; and so there
were made divers newknighls, and specially
Ihe ear! of HainauU made fourteen, who
were ever after called knights of the hare.
Thus that battle stood still all that Frida;^ ;
and beside this strife between the council-
lors of France there was brought in letters
to the host of recommendation to Ihe French
king and to his council from king Robert
of Sicily, the which king, as it was said,
was a great astronomer and full of great
science. He had oftentimes sought his
books on the estate of the kings of England
and of France, nnd he found by his nstrology
and by Ihe inlluencc of the heavens, that if
the French king ever fought with king
Eilward of England, he should be discom-
lited : wherefore he, like a king of great
the :..Ut itoi llley Aobld fight with ihem "
i ' F-or hi: (i.r. Ihc king) knew nol Kich Dliui t
wisdom and as he that doubted the peril of
the French king his cousin, sent oftentimes
letters to king Philip and to his council,
that in no wise he ^ould make any battle
against the Englishmen, whereas king
Edward was personally present. So that,
what for doubt, and for such writing from
the king of .Sicily, divers of the great lords
of France were sore abashed ; and also
king Philip was informed thereof. How-
beit, yet he had great will to give battle }
but h
a the a
rary.
that the day passed without battle, and
every man withdrew to their lodgings.
And when the earl of HainauTt saw that
they should not fight, be departed with ail
his whole company and went back the same
night to Quesnoy. And the king of Eng-
land, the duke of Brabant and all the other
lords returned and trussed atl their baggages,
and went the same night to Avesnes In
Hainault. And the next day they took
leave each of ather ; and the Almains and
The same Friday that the battle should
have been, the French king, when he come to
his lodging, he was sore displeased because
he departed without battle. But they of his
CDunol said how right nobly be had borne
himself, for he bad valiantly pursued his
enemies and had done so much that he had
Eut them out of his realm, and how that the
ing of England should make many such
viagcs or he conquGTcd the realm of France.
The next day king Philip gave licence to
all manner of men todepart, and he thanked
right courteously the great lords of their aid
and succour. Thus ended this great journey,
and every man went to their own. The
French king went to Saint -Omer's, and sent
men of war to his garrisons, and specially
to Tournay, to Lille, and to Douay, and to
the other towns marching on the Empire,
ent to Tournay sir Godemar du Fay
and made him captain there and regent of
that country thereabout, and he sent sir
Edward of Beaujeu to Morlagne ; and
when he had ordered part of his business
then he drew toward IVis.
EDWARD TAKES THE ARMS OF FKANCE
55
CHAPTER XLIII
king Ibcreof.
When ihat king Edward was departed
ftom the Flamengerie and came into Bra-
bant and went straight to BnisseU, Che
duke of Gueldres, the marquis of Juliers,
the miLrquis of Brandebourg, ihe earl of
Mons, sir John of Hainault, the lord of
Pauquemont, and all the lords of the
Empire, such as had been at thst journey,
brought him thither to take advice and
counsel what should be done more in the
matter that ihey had b^un. And to have
expedition in the cause they ordained a
parliament to be holden at the town of
Brussels, and thither lo come was desired
Jaques d'Attevcld of Gaunt, who came
thither with a great company, and all the
counsels of the good towns of Flanders.
There the king of England was sore desired
of all hk allies of the Emph^that he should
require them of Flanders to aid and to
maintain his war, and lo defy Ihe French
king and to go with him whereas he would
have them ; and in Iheir so doing he <o
in'oniise them to recover Lille, Douay and
Bethune.
This request was well heard of the
Flemings, and thereupon they desired to
take counsel among themselves; and so
they look counsel at goad leisure, and then
they said to the king ; ' Sir, or this time ye
have made to us requestin this behalf ; sir,
if we might well do this, saving your honour
and lo save ourselves, we would gladly do
this; but, sir, we be bound by failh and
a millio
Harins in ihe pope's chamber, thi
make nor move no war against the king of
France, whosoever it be, on pain lo lose
the said sum and beside that to run in the
sentence of cursing. But, sir, if ye wiE
take on you Ihearius of France and quarter
lliem with the arms of England and call
yourself king of France, as ye ought to be
of righl. then we will lake you for rightful
king of France and demand of you quit-
tance of our bonds, and so ye to give us
pardon thereof as king of France ; by Ihis
s we sh^ be assored and dispensed
would St
withal, and so then we will go with you
whithersoever ye will have us.
Then the king took counsel, for he
Ihoughl it was a sore matter to lake on
him the arms of France and the name, and
as then had conquered nothing thereof, nor
could not tell what should fall thereof, nor
whether he should conquer it or not ; and
on the other side, loth he was lo refuse Ihe
comfort and aid of the Flemings, who
might do him more aid than any other.
So Ihe king took counsel of the lords of the
Empire and of the lord Robert d'Artois
and with other of his special friends ; so
if they
and seal to this accord, and to
IT, how he would
do all this with a good will, and promised
lo get them again Lille, Douay and
Bethune : and all they answered how they
Then there was a day assigned to meet
at Gaunt, at which day the king was there,
and the niost part of the said lords, and all
the counsels generally in Flanders. And
so then all these said matters were re-
hearsed, sworn and sealed ; and the king
quartered the arms of France with England,
and from thenceforth took on him the name
of Ihe king of France, and so contmued
till he left it again by composition, as ye
shall hear after in this hook. And so at
this council they determined that the next
summer after they would make great war
into France, promising to besiege the city
of Toumay ; whereof the Flemings were
joyfiil, for they thought to be strong enough
to get it, and that once gotten, they beheved
shortly after to win again Lille, Douay and
Bethune, with the appurtenances pertaining
or holden of the earl of Flanders.
Thus every man departed and went home:
the king of England went to Antwerp, and
the queen abode still at Gaunt and waS
oftentimes visited by Jaques d'Arteveld
and by olhei lords, ladies and damosels of
Gaunt, The king left in Flanders the earl
of Salisbury and Ihe earl of Suffolk : ' Ihey
and there kept a great
,>5"°
of Lille and thereabout. And when the
5^
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
king's ships were ready, he took the sea
and so sailed into England and came to
London about the feast of Saint Andrew,
where he was honourably received. And
there he had complaints made him of the
destruction of Hampton, and he said that
he trusted or a year longer that it should be
well revenged.
CHAPTER XLIV
How the Frenchmen brent in the lands of
sir John of Hainault.
Now let us speak of king Philip, who
greatly fortified his navy that he had on
the sea, whereof sir Quieret, Behuchet and
Barbevaire^ were captains; and they had
under them a great retinue of Genoways,
Normans, Bretons and Picards. They did
that winter great damage to the realm of
England : sometime they came to Dover,
Sandwich, Winchelsea, Hastings and Rye,
and did much sorrow to the Englishmen,
for they were a great number, as a forty
thousand men. There was none that could
issue out of England, but they were robbed,
taken or slain ; so they won great pillage,
and specially they won a great ship called
the Christofer, laden with wools, as she was
going into Flanders, the which ship had
cost the king of England much money,
and all they that were taken vnthin the ship
were slain and drowned ; of the which
conquest the Frenchmen were right joyous.
The French king then sent and wrote to
the lord of Bosmont, the lord of Vervins,^
to the vidame of Chalons, the lord John
de la Bove, the lord John and Gerard of
Lor, that they should make an army and
to ride into the lands of sir John of Hainault,
and to burn and destroy there as much as
they might. They obeyed, and gathered
together to the number of five hundred
spears ; and so in a morning they came
before the town of Chimay and gathered
together there a great prey ; for they of
the country thought that the Frenchmen
would not have come so far, nor to have
passed the wood of Thierache. So the
1 Hugh Quieret, Nicholas Behuchet and Pietro
Barbavara.
2 * To the lord of Bosmont and Vervins*: his name
was Jean de Coucy.
Frenchmen burnt the suburbs of Chimay
and divers other villages thereabout, nigh
all the land of Chimay except the for-
tresses : then they went to Aubenton in
Thierache and there divided their booty.
In the same season the soldiers of Cam-
bray came to a little strong house without
Cambray, called Relenghes, pertaining to
sir John of Hainault ; and a bastard son of
his kept the house with a fifteen soldiers
with him : so they were assailed a whole
day together, and the dikes were so frozen,
that a man might well come to the walls ;
and so they within trussed all that they
had and about midnight departed, and set
fire themselves on the house. The next
day, when they of Cambray came thither
again and saw how it was brent, they did
beat down all that stood. And the captain
of the house and his company went to
Valenciennes.
Ye have well heard before how sir
Gaultier of Manny took the castle of Thun
and set therein a brother of his called
Giles of Manny : he made many skirmishes
with them of Cambray, and did them much
trouble. And so it happened on a day that
he went from his garrison with a sixscore
men of arms and came to the barriers of
Cambray. And the brunt was so great, that
many armed them within the city and came
to the gate whereas the skirmish was,
whereas sir Giles had put back them of
Cambray. Then they issued out, and
aniong the Cambreses there was a young
squire, a Gascon, called William Marchand,
who went out into the field well horsed,
his shield about his neck and his spear in
his hand. And when sir Giles of Manny
saw him, he rode fiercely to him ; and
there sir Giles was stricken through all his
harness to the heart, so that the spear went
clean through his body, and so he fell to the
earth. Then there was a fierce skirmish,
and many stricken down on both parts ;
but finally they of Cambray obtained the
place and drove away their enemies, and
took with them sir Giles of Manny, hurt
as he was, and so brought him to Cambray
with great joy. Then incontinent they dis-
armed him and did get surgeons to dress
his wound, for they would gladly that he
might [have] escaped ; but he died the next
day after. Then they determined to send
his body to his two brethren John and
THE FRENCH JN HAtNAULT
57
Thierry, who were in llie gairisan at Bou-
chain in Ostrevant ; for though that Ihe
country of Mainault at that lime was in no
war, yet nil the frontiers toward France
were ever in good awail. So then Ibey
ordained a hotse litter right hononiably
and put his body thenan, and caused two
(riars to convey it to his brethren, who
received htm with great sorrow. Ami they
liuc him to Ihe Friars at Valenciennes, and
there he was buried ; and after that the two
brethren of Manny came lo the castle of
Tbun and made sore war against Ihem of
Cambray in counteraveoging the death of
their brother.
In Ibis season captain of Tournay and
Toumesiswas sir Godemar du Fay, and of
the fortresses thereabout ; and the lord of
Beanjeu was within Mortagne on the river
of I'Escault, and the steward of Carcas-
sonne was in the town of Saint-Amand,
sir Aymar of Poitiers in Douay, the lord
Galois de la Baume and the lord of
ViJlars, the marsho! of Mirepobc and the
lord of Moreuil in the city of Cambray.
And these knights, squires and soldiers of
Fiance desired none other thing, but that
theymightenterintoHainanltandtoroband
pill the country. Also the bishop of Cam-
bray, who was at Faris with the king, com-
plained how Ihe Hainowes had done him
damage, brent and overrun his country,
more than any other men. And then the
king gave licence to the soldiers of Cam-
bteHE to make a road into Hainaull, Then
they of the ganisons made a journey and
were lo the number of six hundred men of
arms. And on a Saturday in the morning
they departed from Cambray, and also Ihej
of la Malmaison rode forth the same day,
nod met together and went to the town ol
Haipres. the which was a good town and a
great, without walls. The people there
were \a no doubt, for they knew of no war
towards them. So the Frenchmen entered
and found men and women in their houses,
and look them, and robbed the towc
their pleasure, and then set fire in the tc
and brent it so clean, that nothing
mained but the walls. Within the tc
there was a priory of black monks, with
great buildings beside the church, which
heUofSainl-Vaast of Arras.' The French-
1 Thi UiMl revi
,1 AK»!r
'In I
church of r
also robbed the place and brent it to
the earth, and with all their pillage they
^turned lo Cambray.
These tidings anon came to the know-
ledge of the eail of HainauU, who was
bed and asleep in his lodging, called the
ialle ; and suddenly he rose and armed
him, and called up all such knights as were
about him ; but they were lodged so abroad
that they were not so soon ready as the earl
was ; who without tarrying for any person
came into the market-place of Valenciennes
and caused the bells to be sowned alarum.
Then every man arose and armed them,
and followed the earl Iheii lord, who was
ridden out of the town in great haste and
took the way toward Haspres : and by
that lime he had ridden a league, tidings
came to him how the Frenchmen were de-
ported. Then he rode to the abbey of
Fontenelles, whereas the lady his mother
was, and she had much ado to rappease
him of his displeasure, for he said plainly
that the destruction of Haspres should
dearly be revenged in the realm of France.
The good lady his mother did as much as
she could lo assuage his ire, and to eicuae
the king of that deed.
So when the earl had been there a certain
space, he took leave of her and returned
to Valenciennes, and incontinent wrote
letters to the prelates and boightE of his
country to have their advice and counsel in
that behalt And when sir John of
Hainault knew hereof, he took his horse
and came to the earl his neuhew ; and as
soon as the ear! saw him, he said, 'Ah,
fair uncle,youi absence hath set the French-
men in apride.' 'Ah, sit,' quoth he, 'with
your trouble and annoyance I am sore dis-
pleased : howbeit in a manner I am glad
thereof. Now ye be well rewarded for the
service and love that ye have borne to the
Frenchmen.' Now it behoveth you to make
a journey into France against the French-
men. 'Ah, uncle,' quoth the earl, 'look
into what quarter ye think best and it
shall be shortly done.' So thus the day of
parliament assigned at Mons came, and
cruel saioL and much to be feared, mi they have
a provastiy ruled Iv the monks of Siinl-VsMi rf
Arras. The provoai had taken sudi ture. thai Ihe
• " ■ Agjire Bi
ought with him to Valendeni
i
58
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
thither resorted all the counsel of the
country, and also of Holland and Zealand.
There were divers opinions : some would
that certain sufficient persons should be
sent to the French king, to know if he
were consenting to the hurt done in
Hainault, or by what title he should make
war into the earl's land without any de-
fiance : and some other would that the earl
should be revenged in like manner as the
Frenchmen had begun. Howbeit finally,
all reasons debated, it was thought that the
earl could do no otherwise, but to make
war into France. And it was ordained
that the earl should make his defiance to
the French king, and then to enter by
force into the realm of France; and to
bear these defiances was ordained the abbot
Thibalt of Crespin.^ So then the letters of
defiance were written and sealed by the
earl and by all the nobles of the country.
Then the earl thanked all his lords and
other of their good comfort and of their
promise to aid to revenge him against the
Frenchmen.
The abbot of Crespin came into France
and brought these defiances to king Philip,
who made light thereof and said how his
nephew was but an outrageous fool, and
how that he was a merchant to have his
country brent.* The abbot returned to the
earl and to his council and shewed how he
had sped ; and then the earl prepared for
men of war in his country and in Brabant
and in Flanders, so that he had a great
number together : and so set forward
toward the land of Chimay ; for the earPs
intent was to go and bren the lands of the
lord of Vervins and also Aubenton in
Thierache.
CHAPTER XLV
How the earl of Hainault took and destroyed
Aubenton in Thierache.
They of Aubenton doubted greatly the
earl of Hainault and sir John his uncle;
and >o they sent for some aid to the great
bailly of Vermandois, and he sent to them
1 Not 'Saiut Crispin* as given by the tnms-
lator.
- *Qu'Il morchandoit bien de (aire ardotr son
pa>-s.'
the vidame of Chalons, the lord Bosmont,
the lord de la Bove, the lord of Lor, and
divers other to the number of three hun-
dred men of arms, and so they repaired the
town in certain places, and determined to
abide the Hainowes and to defend the
town, the which was a great town and full
of drapery.^ The Hainowes came on a
Friday, and lodged near to Aubenton, and
advised the town to see on what quarter it
were most best to be taken ; and in the
morning they approached in three wards,
their banners before them right ordinately,
and also their cross-bows. The earl of
Hainault led the first battle, and with him
great number of the knights and squires of
his country : his uncle sir John of Hai-
nault had the second battle, whereas he had
plenty of men of war : the third had the
lord Fauquemont with a good number of
Almains. And so thus every lord was
under his own banner, and there began a
sore assault, and the bows began to shoot
both within and without, whereby divers
weFe sore hurt. The earl and his company
came to the gate : there was a great assault
and a sore skirmish: there the vidame of
Chalons did marvels, and he made at the
gate three of his sons knights. But finally
the earl and his company conquered the
bails, and by force made their enemies to
withdraw into the gate. And also at the gate
toward Chimay was sir John la Bove and
sir John Bosmont : there was also a cruel
assault ; they \i'ithin were fain to withdraw
in at their gates and to leave the barrier,
and the Hainowes won it and the bridge
also. There was a sore assault, for such
as were fled and entered within went up
on the gate and cast down bars of iron,
stones, pots full of quicklime, whereby
many were sore hurt. A squire of Hai-
nault received such a stroke with a stone on
his targe, that it was cloven clean asunder
with the stroke and his arm broken, so
that it was long after or he was whole.
The Saturday in the morning there was
a great assault, and they within did their
devoir to defend themselves ; but finally
the town vras won by force and their pales
and defences broken. And first entered
into the town sir John of Hainault with
his banner with great crying and shouting ;
then the vidame of Chalons withdrew him
1 ue, a town in which much cloth was made.
anil his company into the place before
the minster, and tliete made semblant to
defend himself as long as he might endure.
But the lord of Vcrvins departed without
order, for he knew well thai sir John of
Ilainault was sore displeased with him, so
(hat he thought, if he had been taken, that
no ransom should have save! his life. And
when sir John of Hainault knew thai he
was departed, that had done so much dis-
pleasure in his land of Chimay, he pur-
sued after him ; but the lord of Vervins
fied fast and found the gate of his town
open, and so entered in ; and sir John of
IlainxuU pursued him just to the gate with
his sword in his hand ; but when he saw
that he was escaped, he returned again to
Aubenton : and his men met certain of the
lord Vervin's men, as they followed their
master, and there they were slain without
mercy. The earl and his company fought
sotc with them that were by the r"
and there the vidame of Chalc
marvels in arras, and so did two of his
sons; but Rnally Ihey were all slain, thei
escaped none but such as Hed with the
lord of Vervins, hut al! were slain
taken, and a two thousand' men of the
town, and all the town robbed and pilled,
and all (he goods sent to Chimay, and the
And after the burning of Aubenton the
Hninowes went to Maubett- Fontaine, and
incontinent they won it, and robbed and
brent the town, and also Che town of
Aubigny, and Signy the great, and Signy
the little,' and all the hamlets thereabout,
the which were more than forty. Then
Ihe earl went to Mons, and gave Teave to
hb men of war to depart, and thanked
them in such wise, that they were all well
content. Then anon after the earl went to
make a sure alliance with the king of Eng-
land, to be the more stronger in his war
against the Frenchmen. But first he made
his uncle sir John of Hainault chief master
and ^overnour of Holland and Zealand :
anil sir John lay still at Mons and provided
for the country, and sent to Valenciennes,
to comfort and aid them, the lord Antoing,
the lord of Wargny, the lord of Gom-
megnies and sir Henry of Houffalize ; and
the steward of Hainauit with a hundred
spears to the town of Landredes;' and to
Bouchain three brethren, Almains, called
Conrad ; and to Escaudeuvres sir Gerard
Sassegnies ; an^i into the town of Avesnes
the lord of Fauquemont. And thus he
did into every fortress onthc frontiers of
CHAPTER XLVI
I A bttler rrading
^^H t Signy-l'Ahbaye !
How they of Tournay made a journey into
Flanders.
Whe.-j the French king knew how the
Ilainowes had brent Ihe country of Tbie-
rache, taken and slain his knights, and
destroyed the good town of Aubenton, then
ommanded the duke of Normandy his
that he should make a journey into
Hainault, and bring the country into that
case that it should never be recovered
again. Also Ihe king ordained the earl of
I'lsle, Gascon, who was as then with the
king at Paris, that he should make a
voyage into Gascony as his lieutenant, and
to make war to Bordeaux and to Bordelois,
and to all the fortresses that held of (he
king of England. And also the French
king enforced his great navy that he had
on the sea, and commanded them to keep
the l>ounds of Flanders and not to suffer
the king of England to pass over the sea
into Flanders, on pain of their lives.
And when the French king understood
that the Flemings had made homage ti
the king of England, he sent unto them i.
prelate under the colour of the pope, shew-
ing them that if they would return and
knowledge themselves to hold of him and
of the crown of France, and to forsake the
king of England, who had enchanted them,
then he said he would pardon them of all
their trespasses, and would quit them of
the great sum of money that they y
bound unto him by obligation of old ti
and also to give them many fair franchises.
And the Flemings answered how they
mght themselves tight well assoiled and
quitted in anything that they were bound
IS senl la Manfeag:. the marsh
Qutsnoy, and the lord of PoMll
6o
THE CHRONICLES OF FROTSSART
to the king of France. Then the French
king complained to pope Clement the
sixth,' whereupon the pope did cast such
a sentence of cursing, that no priest durst
sing or say there any divine service ;
whereof the Flemings sent a great com-
plaint unto the king of England, who to
appease them sent them word, that when
he came over the sea, he would bring
priests out of his country to sing masses,
whether the pope would or not, for he
said he had privilege so to do : and so by
that means the Flemings were somewhat
appeased.
And when the French king saw that he
could not turn the Flemings from their
opinion, then he commanded them of the
garrisons of Tournay, Lille, and Douay and
other to make war on the Flemings and
to overrun the country. And so sir John
de Roye and sir Matthew de Trie, marshal
of France, and sir Godemar du Fay, and
divers other lords made an army of a thou-
sand men of arms and three hundred cross-
bows, what of Tournay, Lille and Douay.
And so in an evening they departed from
Tournay, and by that it was day in the
morning, they were before Courtray. By
that time the sun was up, they had gathered
together all the cattle thereabout ; and some
of them ran to the gates, and slew and hurt
divers that they found without. And then
they returned without any damage and
drove before them all their preys, so that
when they came to Tournay, they had
more than ten thousand sheep and as many
swine, beeves and kine, whereof the Flem-
ings were sore troubled.
Then Jaques d'Arteveld sware that it
should be dearly revenged ; and incontinent
he commanded the good towns of Flanders,
that their men of war should be with him
before Tournay at a day assigned : and he
wrote to the earl of Salisbury and to the
earl of Suffolk, who were at Ypres, that
they should be there at the same. And so
against the day limited he went out of
Gaunt and came to a place between Oude-
narde and Tournay called the Pont de Fer,
and there he lodged and tarried for the
earls of England and for them of the Franc
of Bruges. The said two earls thought for
1 The pope at this time was in fact Benedict
XII. : Clement VI. became pope in 1342.
their honour the enterprise should not be
delayed by them, and so sent to Jaques
d'Arteveld promising him not to fail to be
at the day appointed. And so on a day
they departed from Ypres with a fifty spears
and a forty cross-bows, and went toward
the place whereas Jaques d'Arteveld abode
for them. And as they passed by the town
of Lille, they were perceived ; and they of
the town issued out with a fifteen hundred
men afoot and a-horseback, . and went in
three parts, to the intent that the earls
should not scape them.' So these two earls
rode forth by the guiding of sir Waflard de
la Croix, who had kept long war against
them of Lille, and he knew all the ways of
the country and as then was at Ypres ; and
so he came forth with these earls to be
their guide and he had well guided them.
And they of Lille had newly made a great
dike, whereas there was never none before :
and when sir Waflard had brought them
thither and saw how the way was newly
stopped, he said to the earls of England,
* Sirs, I see well we cannot pass without
the danger of them of Lille : wherefore
I counsel, let us turn again and take
some other way.' Then the lords said,
*Nay, sir Waflard, it shall never be said
that we will go out of our way for fear of
them of Lille ; therefore ride on before : we
have promised Jaques d'Arteveld to be with
him this day.' And so the Englishmen
rode forth without fear. Then sir Waflard
said, * Sirs, ye have taken me in this viage
to be your guide, and I have been with
you all this winter in Ypres, whereof I am
much bound to you. But if they of Lille
issue out upon us, have no trust that I will
abide them, for I will save myself as soon
as I can ; for if I were taken, it should cost
me my Hfe, the which I love better than
your company.* Then the lords did laugh
at him and said, * Well, an if it be so, we
hold you well excused.* And as he im-
agined, so it befell ; for or they were ware,
they were in danger of the French bush-
ment, who cried, * Stop, sirs, for ye shall
not pass this way without our licence,' and
' In the original : * As they rode and were con-
strained to pass by the town of Lille, their coming
was known in the town. Then they of the town
armed themselves secretly and set forth from their
town to the number of fifteen hundred afoot and
a-horseback, and they set themselves in three bush-
ments, so that they might not escape them.'
BATTLE OF SLUYS, 1340
the n
: had r
list t
furlher, but relumed as sodd as be might
aad gat himself out of the press ; and the
two earls fe)t in the hands of their enemies
like fishes in a net, for they were closed
round about in a narrow slrait passage
among hedges, bushes and dikes, so that
Ihey could scape no mariner of way for-
ward not backward. So when they saw
that ihey were so hardly bestod, Ihey
alighted aibot and defended themselves as
well as Ihey might, and did hurt divers or
ihem of Ljlle : but finally their defence
could not avail thfm, for ever new fresh
men of war came on Ihem. So there they
were taken by force, and with them a
young squire of Limousin, nephew to pope
Clement, called Raymond, who after that he
was yielded prisoner was slain for corelise
of his fair harness and fresh apparel.
These two earis were set in prison in the
liall of Lille and after sent lo the French
king, who promised to them of Lille a great
reward for the good service that they had
done him. And when Jaques d'Arteveld,
whnwasal Pont de Fer, knew those tidings,
he was sore displeased, and so ceased his
enterprise for that time and returned again
CHAPTERS XLVII-XLIX
SUMMARY.— The dukt of Normandy
invaded Hainaull at Easier, 134a He
burnt many villages, but failed Is lake any
forlrtsses txcip! the castle of Eseaudeuvres,
Mihick was surrendered to Kim iiiith great
The courtly of kainauU suffered much
from the garrisoKS of Lille and Douay.
Meamuhile Ike earl -was gam to Englatidand
then la the emperor Lnuis of Bavaria. Si
Tie Juie of Normandy laid siege lo
ThuH-F Evesqut. The earl of Hainaull
came lo reiiet-e il, and Ike duke of
Normandy lenl veni la ting Philip al
Peronne, Philip sent twelve ktmdred spears,
urtring himseff Toith Ihem ' as a soldieri
■ liat is, lating no command, because he had
oath not lo levy mar an the Empire.
The earl of Hainault reeeived an addition
of sixty thousand Flemings to his army, and
offered battle, which the French refused.
Of the bailie on the sea before Sluys in
flanders belween the king of England
and the Freachmen.
Now let us leave somewhat to speak of
the earl of Hainault and of the duke
of Normandy, and speak of the king of
England, who was on [he sea to the intent
toarrive in Flanders, and so into Hainaull,
to make war against the Frenchmen. This
was on Mid summer- even in the year of our
Lord MCCCXL., all the English Beet was
departed out of the river of Thames and
took the way to Sluys. And the same
time between Blankenberghe and Sluys on
the sea was sir Hugh Quieret, sir Peter
Behuchet and Barhevaire, and more than
siiscore great vessels, beside other j and
th^ were of Normans, bidaus, Genoways
and Pieards about the number of forty
thouBund : there they were laid by the
French king to defend the king of England's
passage. The king of England and his
came sailing till he came before Sluys : and
when he saw so great a number of ships
that their masts seemed to be like a great
wood, he demanded of the master of his
ship what people he thought they were.
[le answered and said, 'Sir, I think they
be Normans laid here by the French king,
and hath done great displeasure in England,
brent your town of Hampton and taken
your great ship the Chrislofcr.' 'Ah,"
quoth the king, ' I have long desired to
fight with the Frenchmen, and now shail I
6ght with some of them by th£ grace of
God and Saint Geuige ; for truly they have
done me 50 many displeasures, that I shall be
revenged, an I may.' Then the king set
all his ships in order, the greatest before,
well fiimished with archers, and ever
between two ships of archers he had one
ship with men of arms i and then he made
another battle to lie aloof, with archers, to
comfort ever them that were most weary, if
need were. And there were a great number
of countesses, ladies, knights' wii
other damoseis, that were going to
i
62
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
queen at Gaunt : these ladies the king
caused to be well kept with three hundred
men of arms and five hundred archers.
When the king and his marshals had orderedj
his battles, he drew up the sails and came
with a quarter wind to have the vantage
of the sun, and so at last they turned a little
to get the wind at will.^ And when the
Normans saw them recule back, they had
marvel why they did so, and some said,
* They think themselves not meet to meddle
with us, wherefore they will go back.'
They saw well how the king of England
was there personally, by reason of his
banners. Then they did apparel their fleet
in order, for they were sage and good men
of war on the sea, and did set the Christofer^
the which they had won the year before, to
be foremost, with many trumpets and instru-
ments,^ and so set on their enemies.
There began a sore battle on both parts :
archers and cross-bows began to shoot, and
men of arms approached and fought hand
to hand : and the better to come tc^ether
they had great hooks and grappers of iron,
to cast out of one ship into another, and so
tied them fast together. There were many
deeds of arms done, taking and rescuing
again, and at last the great Christofer was
first won by the Englishmen, and all that
were within it taken or slain. Then there
was great noise and cry, and the English-
men approached and fortified the Christofer
with archers, and made him to pass on
before to fight with the Genoways. This
battle was right fierce and terrible ; for the
battles on the sea are more dangerous and
1 The oxx^cDsX text SAy% : ' They came with the
wind on their quarter to have the advantage of the
sun, which as they came was in their faces. They
bethought them that this might damage them much,
and therefore they turned a little out of their course
till they had the wmd at will.' But the true reading is,
' till they had it {Ji.e. the sun) at their will.' It must
be supposed that they were coming over before a
west wind, for which they would probably have
waited. On this course the^ would have the sun
directly in their faces at prime, when the battle
began ; and perceiving this they avoided the dis-
advantage by changing their course, so as to have
the wind on their right quarter and so come in from
the north-west instead of directly from the west. To
ilo this they would have to sail first some little way to
; he northward, and it was this movement that caused
[he Normans to think that they were retiring.
- In the better text the Christofer \s said to be
filled with cross-bowmen and Genoese, and the
' trumpets and instruments' are mentioned only in
general as sounded upon the advance of the fleet.
fiercer than the battles by land : for on th<
sea there is no reculing nor fleeing ; there ii
no remedy but to fight and to abide fortune,
and every man to shew his prowess. Of £
truth sir Hugh Quieret, and sir Behuchet anc
Barbevaire were right good and expert mer
of war. This battle endured from the morn-
ing till it was noon, and the Englishmer
endured much pain, for their enemies were
four against one, and all good men on the sea.
There the kingof England was a noble knighl
of his own hand ; he was in the flower ol
his yongth : in like wise so was the earl ol
Derby, Pembroke, Hereford, Huntingdon,
Northampton and Gloucester, sir Raynold
Cobham, sir Richard Stafford, the lord
Percy, sir Walter of Manny, sir Henry ol
Flanders, sir John Beauchamp, the lord
Felton, the lord Bradestan, sir [John]
Chandos, the lord Delaware, the lord of
Multon, sir Robert d*Artois called earl
of Richmond, and divers other lords and
knights, who bare themselves so valiantly
with some succours that they had of Bruges
and of the country thereabout, that they
obtained the victory ; so that the French-
men, Normans and other were discomfited,
slain and drowned ; there was not one that
scaped, but all were slain.
When this victory was achieved, the king
all that night abode in his ship before
Sluys, with great noise of trumpets and
other instruments. Thither came to see
the king divers of Flanders, such as had
heard of the king's coming. And then the
king demanded of the bui^esses of Bruges
how Jaques d*Arteveld did : they answered
that he was gone to the earl of Hainault
against the duke of Normandy with sixty
thousand Flemings. And on the next day,
the which was Midsummer day, the king
and all his took land, and the king on foot
went a pilgrimage to our Lady of Ardem-
boui^, and there heard mass and dined ;
and then took his horse and rode to Gaunt,
where the queen received him with great
joy ; and all his carriage came after, little
and little. Then the king wrote to the
earl of Hainault and to them within the
castle of Thun, certifying them of his
arrival ; and when the earl knew thereof,
and that he had discomfited the army on
^he sea, he dislodged and gave leave to all
the soldiers to depart, and took with him
to Valenciennes all the great lords, an4
COUNCIL OF VILVORDE
63
there feasted them honourably, and specially
the duke of Brabant and Jaques d'Acteveld.
And ihere Jaques d'Arteveld openly in the
mnrket-placc.m the presence ofall the lords
luid of all such as would hear him, declared
what right the king of England had to the
crown of France, and aiso what puissance
the three countries were of, Flanders, Hai-
nault and Brabant, surely joined in one
Hlliance. And he did so by his great wisdom
and pleasant words, that all people that
heard him praised him much, and said how
he had otrbly spoken and bygreat experience.
And thus he was greatly praised, and it was
said that he was well worthy to govern the
county of Flanders.
Then the lords departed, and promised
lo meet again within eight days at Gaunt,
lo see the king of England ; and so the)
did. And tbe king feasted them honour-
ably, t
rr duke of Lancaster by hi
wife, daughter to duke Henry of Lancaster.
Then there was a council set to be at
Vilvorde, and a. day limited.
CHAPTER LI
king Roben of Sicily did a
e kings of France and
the French king heard how
army on the sea was discomfited, he dis.
lodged and drew to Arras, and gave leave
lo his men to depart till he heard other tid-
ings : and sent sir Godemar du Faj| to
Toumay to see that there lacked nothing.
He feared more the Flemings than any
ulhei, and sent the lord of Beaujeu to Mor-
tognc to keep the fiontieis against Hainault:
and he sent many men of war lo Saint-
Omer's, lo Aire and to Saint-Venant, and
purveyed sufficiently for all the fortresses
ntmling on Flanders.
In Uis season there reigned a king in
Sidly called Robert, who was reputed to be
a great astronomer, and always he warned
■he French king and his council, that in no
wise he should fight against the king of
England ; for he said it was given the king
of England to be right fortunate in all his
d««]s. This king Robert would gladly
n these two kings at a good accord ;
for he loved sa much the crown of France,
that he was right sorry to see the desola-
tion thereof This king of Sicily was at
Avignon with pope Clement and with the
coli^e there, and declared lo ihem the
perils that were likely to fall in the realm
of France by the war lietween the said two
kings, desiring them that they would help
to find some meansto appease Ihem: where-
unto the pope and the cardinals answered
how they would gladly intend thereto, so
that the two kings would hear them.
CHAPTER LIT
Of the council that tlie king of England and
his allies held at Vilvorde.
At this council holden at Vilvorde were
these lords as followclh ; the king of Eng-
land, the duke of Brabant, the earl of
Hainault, sir John his uncle, the duke of
Cueldres, the earl of Juliers, the marquis
of Brandeboui^, the marquis of Meissen,
the earl of Mons, sir Koberl d'Arlois, the
lord of Fauquemont, sir William of Duven-
vooide, the earl of Namur, Jaques d'Arte-
veld, and many other great lords, and of
every good town of Flanders a three or
four person^es in manner of a counsel.
There was agreement made between the
three countries, Flanders, Brabant and
Hainault, that from thenceforth each of
ihem should aid and comfort other in all
cases. And there Ihey made assurance
;h to other, that if any of them had lo do
;h any country, the other two should give
I, and hereafler if any of them should be
discord one with another, the third should
agreement between them : and if he were
L able so to do, then the mailer should be
t unlo ihe king of England, in whose
hands this matter was sworn and promised,
and he to agree them. And in confirmation
ive and amity they ordained a law to
throughout those three countries, the
which was called the law of the companions
allies.^ And there it was determined
■ This sh.
\a IS] ^'ihrcr
oys'ineanLiil ■Handnnf^coinagc'). 1
wo u<! told ihat Jaqu« d'Altevel^s alien
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
tliat the kin? of England atinuld remove
about Maudlin-tide niter, and lay siege to
Tournay ; and there lo meet all the said
lords and theirs, with the powers of all the
good towns ; and then every man departed
to their own houses, to apparel them in
that t>ebal£
CHAPTER LIII
The P'rench king after the departure of
these lords from the council of Vilvorde
he knew the most part of their determina-
tion. Then he sent to Tourr^ay the chief
men of war of a1! France, as the earl of Eu,
brethren, the earl Aimery of Narbonne,
rir Ayniar of Poitiers, sir Geoffrey of Chamy,
ur Gerard of Montfaucon, the two mar-
shals, air Robert Bertrand and sir Matthew
de Trie, the lord of Caycu, the seneschnl
of Foitou, the lord of Chatillon, and sir
John of Landas, and these had with them
valiant knights and squires. They came to
Tournay and found there £ir Godemar du
Fay, who was there before. Then they
took regard lo the pirovision of the town,
as well to the victuals as to the artillery and
fortification; and they caused to be brought
out of the country thereabout wheat, oats
and other provision.
Now let us return to the king of England.
When the lime approached tliat he and his
allies should meet before Tournay, and that
the com b^an to ripe, he departed from
Gaunt with seven earls of his country, eight
...je thousand arcliers, beside fooltnen.
All his host passed through the town ol
Oudeoarde, and so passed the river of I'Es-
and Donay. Then anon aflet
duke of lirabant wilh more than twenty
Ihonsand men. knights, squires and
conimiins ; and he lDd|;e(i at the bridge of
Rieux by the river of I'Escanlt between
the abbey of Saint Nicholas and the gate
Valenciennois.^ Neit to himcamethe earl
t Thati^, the gate ksc
of Hainault with a goodly company of his
country, with many olHolland and Zealand ;
and he was lodged between the king an<i
the duke of Brabant. Then came Jaques
d'Artcveld with more than sixty thousand
Flemings, beside them of Ypres, Pope-
ringhe, Cassel, Bergues ; and they were set
on the other side, as ye shall hear after.
Jaques d'Arteveld lodged at the gate Sainte-
Fontaine : the duke of Gneldres, the earl
of Juliers, the marquis of Brandebourg, the
marquis ol Meissen, the earl of Mons, the
earl of Sa!m, the lord of Fauquemont, sir
Arnold of Baquehem and all the Almains
were lodged on the other side, toward Hai-
nault. Thus tlie city of Tournay was en-
vironed round about, and every host might
resort each lo other, so that none could
out without spying.
CHAPTER LIV
SUMMARY.— Ditrifig thi siege of Tour-
nay the earl of Hainault rode into France
and burnt some •aillage!. The Flemings
made assaults on Tournay from the river,
but ivmi nothing.
CHAPTER LV
Now it is to be remembered how sir William
Douglas, son of William Douglas' brother,
who died in Spain, and the earl Patrick,
the earl of Sutherland, sir Robert of Versy,'
sir Simon Eraser and Alexander Ramsay,
they were captains in such part of Scot-
land as was left unwon by the Englislimen.
And they bad continued in the forest o(
Gedeoiu's the space of si " — --' —
king of England was at siege before Tour-
nay, the French king sent men of war into
Scotland, and they arrived at Saint John's
1 Kervyn ie Ijaiethayr molies U prohviblii ihai
this dann!, which frequently oocura atntraE those of
tha kadinE bsmna oT Scotluid, ii Frol»»n'E car-
rvpdoo eT^tikine.
[(jwti. And they desired the Scots in the
French king's name, that they would set on
sn<t make such wai in the realm of England,
that the long coight be fain to return home
to rescue hi3 own realm, and to leave up
llie siege Bt Toilrnay; and Ihe French king
promised them men and money to aid them
so to do. And so the Scots departed out
of Ihe forest of Gedeours and passed through
I Scotland, and won again divers fortresses,
! and so passed the town of Berwick and the
river of Tyne, and entered into the country
of Northiunberland, the which sometiine
was a realm. There they found great plenty
of beasts, and wasted and brent ail the
country to Durham : then they returned by
another way, destroying the country. In
Ibis voyage they destroyed more than three
days' Joiuney into the realm of England, and
then returned into Scotland and conquered
again all the fortresses that were holden by
the Englishmen, except the city of Ijerwick
and three other caslles, the which did Ihem
great trouble. Tbey were so strong, that
it would have been hard to have found any
such in any country : the one was Stirling,
another Roxburgh, and the third the chief
of all Scotland, iLdinburgh, the which castle
slandeth on a high rock, thai a man mi
rest once or twice or he come to the highi
of the hill ; and captain there was
Walter [of Limc^es, brother to sir Richard]
Limousin, who had before so valiantly kept
the castle of Thun against the Frenchmen.
So it was that sir William Douglaa dt
vised a feat, and iliscovercd his intentio
to his companions, to the earl Patrick, to
sir Simon Fraser and to Ale](ander Ram-
say, and all they ^eed together. Then
thwr took a two hnndred of the wild Scots
and entered into the sea, and made pro-
vision of oats, meal, coals and wood ; ' and
so peaceoUy they arrived at a port near ti
the castle of Edinburgh. And in the nigh
they armed Ihem and took a ten or twelvi
of Ibeir company, such as they did trus
best, and did disguise them in poor ton
colls and hats, like poor men of the
country, end charged a twelve small horse
with sacks, some with oats, some wit..
wheat-meal and some with coals ; and they
did set all their company in a bushment '
^ 'Dechu-bon et dcfeuvre.^bat Iha Iruereiidi
k "de charbon dt fcuvre,' f.t. chaicoal for iniit
old destroyed abbey thereby, near to
the foot of the hill. And when the day
,n to appear, covertly armed as they
:, they went up the hill with their
merdiandise. And when they were in the
mid way, sir William Douglas and sir
Simon Fiaser, disguised as they were, went
a little before and came to the porter and
said : ' Sir, in great fear we have brought
hither oats and wheat-meal ; and if ye
have any need thereof, we will sell it to you
good cheap.' ' Marry,'said Ibeporler, 'and
we have need thereof; but il is ao early,
that I dare not awake the captain nor his
steward. But let them come id and I shall
open the outer gate." Ami 50 they all en-
tered into the gate of the bails -. sir William
Douglas saw welt how Ihe porter had the
keys in his hands of the great gate of the
:astle. Then when the first gate was
ipened, as ye have heard, their horses with
carriages entered in ; and the two that
then
if the
ent thai the gale should n
be closed again. And then they look the
porter and slew him so peaceably, that he
never spake word. Then they look the
great keys and opened the castle gate :
then sir William Douglas blew a horn ami
did cast away their torn coats and laid all
the other sacks overlhwart the gate, to the
intent that it should not be shut again.
And when ihey of the bushment hearil tlie
horn, in oH baste Ihey might ihey mounted
the hill. Then the watchman of the castle
wilh noise of the horn awoke, and saw
how the people were coming all armed to
Ihe castle-waid. Then he blew his horn
and cried, 'Treason I treason I Sirs, arise
and arm you shortly, for yonder be men of
arms approaching to your fortress.' Then
every man arose and armed them and came
to the gate ; but sir William Douglas and
his twelve companions defended so the
gale, that tbey could not close it -. and so
by great valiantness they kept the entry
open, till their bushment came. They
within defended the castle as well as Ihey
might, and hurt divers of them without :
but sir William and the Scots did so much,
that they conquered the fortress, and all the
Englishmen wilhin slain, except the captain
and six other squires. So the Scots tarried
there all that day, and made a knight of
66
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
the country captain there, called Simon
Wisbey, and with him divers other of the
country. These tidings came to the king
of England before Tournay.
CHAPTER LVI
Of the great host that the French king
assembled to raise the siege before Tournay.
Ye have heard before how the king of
England had besieged the city of Tournay
with more than six score thousand men of
arms, with the Flemings. And because
the victuals within the city began to minish,
the French lords within caused to avoid
out of the town all manner of poor people,
such as were not furnished to abide the
adventure of the siege. They were put
out in the open day, and they passed
through the duke of Brabant's host, who
shewed them grace, for he caused them to
be safely brought to the French host at
Arras, whereas the king lay. And there
he made a great assembly of men of his
own country and part out of the Empire.^
Thither came to him the king of Bohemia,
the duke of Lorraine, the earl of Bar, the
bishop of Metz and of Verdun, the earl of
Montbeliard, sir John of Chalons, the earl
of Geneva, the earl of Savoy and the lord
Louis of Savoy his brother. All these
lords came to serve the French king with
all their powers. Also thither came the
duke of Bretayne, the duke of Burgoyne,
the duke of Bourbon, the earl of Alen9on,
the earl of Flanders, the earl Forez, the
earl Armagnac, the earl of Blois, sir
Charles of Blois, the earl of Harcourt,
the earl Dammartin, the lord Coucy, and
divers other lords and knights. And after
came the king of Navarre with a goodly
number of men of war out of the country
in P'rance that he held of the French king,
and thereby he came to serve him : also
there was the king of Scots with a certain
number appointed to him.
CHAPTERS LVH, LVHI
SUMMARY. — The king of France with
Ids army ynoz'ed zip from Arras towards
J The person spoken of is of course king Philip,
hut the translator has made the passage obscure by
omissions.
Tournay. Two German knights pf the
garrison of Botuhain riding abroad with
five -atid' twenty spears routed and ^ dis-
trussed ' certain French soldiers of Mortagne^
who were returning with booty.
Sir William de Bailleul and sir Wa-
flardde la Croix with a body of Hainaulters
crossed the Pont-h-Tressin and attacked the
French encampment. They were routed,
chiefly by sir Robert de Bailleul, brother of
sir William ; and sir Waflard de la Croix
being taken prisoner was put to death by the
men of Lille.
CHAPTER LIX
How the earl of Hainault assailed the for-
tress of Mortagne in Picardy by divers
manners.
Of this deed that sir Robert Bailleul had
done the French king was right joyous.
And within a season after the earl of
Hainault, sir John his uncle, and the
seneschal of Hainault with a six hundred
spears, Hainowes and Almains, departed
from the siege of Tournay. And the earl
sent to them of Valenciennes, that they
should come and meet with him before
Mortagne, and to come between le Scarpe
and I'Escault to assail Mortagne. And
they came thither in great array, and
brought with them great engines. The
lord of Beaujeu, who was captain within
Mortagne, greatly doubted assaulting, be-
cause the fortress stood near to the river
and near to Hainault, as on all parts :
therefore he caused twelve hundred piles to
be driven in the river, to the intent that
no passage should be that way. Howbeit
for all that, the earl of Hainault and the
Hainowes came thither on the one side,
and they of Valenciennes on the other part,
and incontinent they made an assault and
approached the barriers ; but there were
such deep trenches, that they could not
come near. Then some advised to pass
the river of le Scarpe, and so to come on the
side toward Saint-Amand, and to make an
assault at the gate toward Maulde ; and as
they devised, a four hundred passed the river.
So then Mortagne was closed in three
parts ; the weakest side was toward Maulde ;
howbeit there was strength enough. To
EVENTS DURmr, THE SIEGE OF TOUJfNAV
Ihat part came ihe lord Beaujeu himself to
defend it, for he feaied none of the other
sides. He had in his hand a great glaive,
sharp aod well steeled, and above the blade
ihi^re was a sharp houk of steel, that when
he gave his stroke, the hook should take
kald 1 and look, on whom that it fastened,
tie came to him or else fell in the water : by
that means the same day he cast mtP the
water more than twelve, at that gate the
assault was fiercest. The earl of Hainaull,
who was on the other side, knew nothing
of that assault : he was arranged along the
river side of I'Escault and devised how
they might get out of the river the piles by
force or by subtilty ; for then they might
come just to the walls. They ordained to
make a ship and a great engine to draw out
the piles, each one afier other : their car-
peateis were set awoik and the engine
made in a ship ; and the same day they of
Valenciennes raised nn their side a great
engine and did cast in stones, so that it sore
troubled them withim Thus the first day
passed and the night in assailing and de-
vising how they might grieve them in the
fortress ; the next day they went to assault
on all parts ; and the third day the ship
was ready and the engine to draw out the
piles, and then did set awork to draw them
out ; but there were so many and such
labour in the doing, or they could draw
out one, that they were weary of that craft,
and the lords would they had never begun
it, and so commanded lo cease Iheir work.
On the other part within Mottagne there
was a cuiming master in making of engines,
who saw well how the engine of Valen-
ciennes did greatly grieve them. He raised
an engine in the castle, the which was not
very great, but he trimmed it to a point ; '
and he cast therewith but three times ; the
first stone fell a twelve foot from the
engine without, the second fell nearer, and
Ihe third stone hit so even that it brake
clean asunder the shaft of the engine with-
out. Then the soldiers of Mortagne made
a great shout. So thus the Hainowes could
get nothing there. Then the earl said how
he would withdraw and go again to Ihe
siege of Tournay ; and so they did, and
they of Valenciennes relumed to theii
CHAPTERS LX, LXI
SUMMARY. — The earl ef HainauU afi-
psinUd Ihe men of VaUncietmes lo meet him
hefyre Saint-Ammd. Whni Ikey arrived,
Ihey atlaeked tht fiiTtrtsi wilheut success and
were moriid by Ihase viilhin, viho said,
' Go azvay and drink your good ale!''
They departed and next day lie earl came
frsm Tournay and tuck lie /{nun by batler-
iHg doom part of the abbey walls.
Another day Ihe tart mltrtd Fnatce and
burnt the abbey of Marchie
:tuals lopass into Ihilirmn.
In an attack on Ike French tamp by
certain knights of Almatne a?id Hainauil
Ihe lard Charles ef Montmorency was taken
CHAPTER LXH
during the siege.
Now let us shew of an adventure that fell
to the Flemings, of the which company
there were captains sir Robert d'Artois
and sir Henry of Flanders. They were in
number a for^ thousand, what of the towns
of Ypres, Poperinghe, Messines, Cassel
and of the cliatelainy of Beipies ; all these
Flemings lay in Ihe vale of Cassel in tenls
and pavilions, to counter - garrison the
French garrisons, that the French king had
laid at Saint -Omer's, at Aire, at Saint-
Venaiit and in other towns and fortresses
thereabout. And in Sainl-Omer's there
was the earl Dolphin of Auvergne, the
lord of ChalencoD, the lord of Montaigu,
the lord of Rochfort, the viscount of
Thonais, and divers other knights of
Auvergne and Limousin, And in Aire
and Sainl-Venant there were also many
soldiers, and oftentimes they issued out and
skirmished with the Flemings.
On a day four thousand' went to the
suburbs of Saint-Omer's and brake down
68
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
divers houses and robbed them. The fray
anon was known m the town, and the lords
within armed them and their company and
issued out at another gate. They were a
six banners and a two hundred men of arms
and a six hundred footmen, and they came
by a secret way on the Flemings, who were
busy to rob and pill the town of Arques
near to Saint -Omer's. There they were
spread abroad without captain or good
order : then the Frenchmen came on them
in good order of battle, their banners dis-
played, crying, * Clermont ! the Dolphin
of Auvergne I ' wherewith the Flemings
were abashed and beaten down by heaps ;
and the chase of them endured two leagues,
and there were slain a four thousand and
eight hundred,^ and a four hundred taken
prisoners and led to Saint -Omer's. And
such as fled and scaped returned to the
host and shewed their companions their
adventure : and at last tidings thereof came
to their captains, sir Robert d'Artois and
sir Henry of Flanders, who said it was
well employed, for they went forth without
commandment or captain.
And the same night, or it was midnight,
the Flemings lying in their tents asleep,
suddenly generally among them all there
fell such a fear in their hearts, that they
rose in great haste and with such pain, that
they thought not to be dislodged time
enough. They beat down their own tents
and pavilions and trussed all their carriages,
and so fled away, not abiding one for
another, without keeping of any right way.
When these tidings came to their two
captains, they rose hastily and made great
fires, and took torches and mounted on
their horses, and so came to these Flemings
and said : * Sirs, what aileth you ? Do you
want anything? Why do you thus fly
away ? Be you not well assured ? Return
in the name of God ! Ye be to blame thus
to fly, and no man chase you.* But for all
their words every man fled the next way to
their own houses. And when these lords
saw none other remedy, they trussed all
their harness in waggons and returned to
the host before Tournay, and there shewed
the adventure of the Flemings, whereof
every man had marvel : some said they were
overcome with fantasies.
1 I'he better reading is, ' of the three thousand
there were slain eighteen hundred.'
CHAPTER LXIII
How the siege before Tournay was broken
up by reason of a truce.
This siege endured a long season, the space
of eleven weeks three days less; and all
that season the lady Jane of Valois, sister
to the French king and mother to the earl
of Hainault, travailed greatly, what on the
one part and 6n the other, to have a respite
and a peace between the parties, so that
they might depart without battle. And
divers times she kneeled at the feet of the
French king in that behalf, and also made
great labour to the lords of the Empire, and
specially to the duke of Brabant and to the
duke of Juliers, who had her daughter in
marriage, and also to sir John of Hainault.
So much the good lady procured with the
aid and counsel of Louis d*Agimont, who
was well beloved with both parties, that it
was granted that each party should send
four suflficient persons to treat on some good
way to accord the parties, and a truce for
three days : these appointers should meet
in a little chapel standmg in the fields called
Esplechin. At the day appointed these
persons met, and the good lady with them :
of the French party there was Charles king
of Bohemia, Charles earl d'Alen9on, brother
to the French king, and the bishop of
Liege, the earl of Flanders and the earl
of Armagnac. Of the English party there
was the duke of Brabant, the bishop of
Lincoln, the duke of Gueldres, the duke
of Juliers and sir John of Hainault. And
when they were all met, they made each to
other great salutations and good cheer, and
then entered into their treaty. And all
that day they communed on divers ways of
accord, and always the good lady of Valois
was among them, desiring affectuously all
the parties, that they would do their labour
to make a peace. Howbeit the first day
passed without anything doing, and so they
returned and promised to meet again the
next day ; the which day they came together
again in the same place and so fell again
into their treaty, and so fell unto certain
points agreeable ; but it was as then so
late, that they could not put it in writing as
that day ; and to make an end and to make
perfect the matter if they might, the third
THE SIEGE OF TOURNAY RAISED. 1340
69
'iay they met again, and so finally accorded
on a (rucc to endure lot a year between aJl
parties and ail their men, and also between
them that were in Scotland, and all such as
made war in Cascoyne, Foitou and in
Sainlonge ; and this Inice Co begin the
fortieth day next ensuing, and within that
space every parly to give knowledge to his
men without raal-ei\giije ; and if such com-
panies will not keep the peace, let them 1>e
al their choice : but as for France, Picardy,
Burgoyne, Bretayne and Normandy, tp be
bound to this peace without any exception :
and this peace to b^n incontinent between
the hosts of the two lungs. Also it was
determined that both parties in each of their
names should send four or five personages
as Iheir ambassadors and to meet at Arras,
and the pope in like wise to send thither
foar, and there to make a full confirmation
without any mean.' Also by this truce
every party to enjoy and possess all and
eve^hingthat they were as then in posses-
This truce incontinent was cried in both
hosts, whereof the Brabiinces were right
elad, for they were sore weary with so long
^ing at the siege : 90 tlmt the next day, as
soon as it was daylighl, ye should have seen
tents taken down, chariots charged and
people remove so thick, that a man would
have thought to have seen a new world.
Thus the good town of Tournay was safe
without any great damage : howbeiC they
within endured great pam ; their victuals
began to fall, for, as it was said, they had
as then scant to serve them a three or four
days at Ihemost. The Brabances departed
Slickly, (or they had great desire thereto :
e king of England departed sore against
bis mind, if he might have done otherwise ',
but in manner he was fain to follow the
wills of the other lords and to believe their
counsels. And the French king could
abide no longer thereas he lay, for the evil
airnnd theweatherhot : so Ihe Frenchmen
had the honour of that journey,^ because
they had rescued Tournay and caused their
enemies to depart. The king of England
and the lords on his party said how they
had the honour, by reason that they had
I 'And Ihat which these putlrB sllDuJil orilaiD,
Ihe two kin^ should h«ld jua confirm wicbout any
" 'And Ml Ihe Fttnchmen IhoiiehL on their jian
thil Ihey had the hdiwur,' tic.
tarried so long within the realm, and
besieged one of the good towns thereof,
and also had wasted and burnt in Ihe
French country, and thai the French kiog
had not rescued it in lime and hour, a.^ he
ought to have done, by giving of bailie,
and finally agreed to a truce, their enemies
being still at the siege and brenning his
country.
Thus these lords departed from the siege
of Tournay, and every man drew to his own.
The king of England came to Gaunt to the
queen bis wife, and shortly after passed the
sea, and all his, except such as should be at
the parliament at Arras. The ear! of Hai-
nault returned to his country and held a
noble feast at Mons in Hainault, and a
great joust, in the which Gerard of
Werchin, seneschal of Hainault, did joust,
and was so sore hurt, that he died of the
stroke : he had a son called John, who was
after a good knight and a hardy, but he
was but a while in good health. The
French king gave leave to every man to
depart, and went himself to Lille, and
thilher came they of Tournay, and Ihe
king received them joyously and did shew
them peat grace : he gave them freely thdr
franchise, the which they had lost long
before, wherewith they were joyous ; for
sir Godemar du Fayand divers other knights
had been long govemours there : then they
made new provost and jiu'ates according lo
their ancient usages. Then the king de-
parted from Lille to go lo Paris,
Now then came the season that the
council should be at Arras ; and for pope
Clement thither came in legation the
cardinal of Naples and the cardinal of
Clermont, who came to Paris, whereas the
king made Ihem much honour, and so
came to Arras : for the French king there
was the earl of Alencon, the duke of
Bourbon, the earl of Flandeia, the earl
of Blois, the archbishop of Sens, the bishop
of Beauvais and the bishop of Auxetre :
and for the king of England there was the
bishop of Lincoln, the bishop of Durham,
the earl of Warwick, sir Robert d'Artois,
sir John of Hainault and sir Henry of
Flanders. At the which treaty there were
many matters put forth, and so continued
a fifteen days and agreed of no point of
effect. For the Englishmen demanded,
and the Frenchmen would nothing give.
70
THE CHROmCLES OF FROISSART
but all only to render the county of Pon-
thicu, the which was piven with queen
Iialxil in marriage with the king of
England. So this parliament brake up
ant! nothing done, out the truce to be
relongeil two years longer: that was all
that tne cartlinals could get. Then every
man dejwrted, and the two cardinals went
through Hainault at the desire of the earl,
who ^asteil them nobly.
CHAPTER LXIV
Now tpeaketh the history of the wars of
Hi^tayne. and how the duke died without
heir, whereby the dissension fell.
Whkn that this said truce was agreed and
aealeii before the city of Tournay, every*
lonl and all manner of people dislodged,
and every man drew into his own country.
The duke of Bretayne, who had been there
with the French king, as well ftumished as
any other prince that was there, departed
homewanl ; and in his wav a sickness took
him, so that he died : at which time be had
no child, nor had never none, by the
duchess, nor had no trust to have. He
had a brother by the fether s side called
earl i>f Montfort, who was as then living,
aiHl he had to his wife [thej sister to the
earl Louis of Flanders. This said duke
had another bfother, both \f^ finthcr and
UKvther , who was as then deiad ; and he
had a slaughter aKve, and the duke her
uncle had married her to the lord Charks
^ BKhs> eWest son of the earl Guy of
BKhs, that the same earl had by the sister
of king FhiliD of France, who as then
reigned, athihad pfomised with her in
marriage the duchv of Bretayne after his
d^^rase. For he* doubted that the earl
Monttbft would cbdm the inheritance as
next of blood, and yet he was not his
propv-r brother - germao, and the duke
thouv^ht that the\iaughter of his bcothftr^
gernian ought by reason to be more near
to the inheritance atter bis decease than
the carl Monttort his brother. And be-
v.Mj>e he c-irevi that after his decease the
e.ir' Of ^lJ^:xTt would take away the
rii;ht n-vrti his young tiiece. thereh?fe he
ttiarried her with the said sir Charles ot
mois> to the iDteat that king Fhilip* unde
to her husband, should aid to keep her
right against the earl Montfort, if he
meddle anything in the matter.
As soon as the earl Montfort knew
that the duke his brother was dead, he
went incontinent to Nantes, the sovereign
city of all Bretayne ; and he did so much
to the burgesses and to the people of the
country thereabout, that he was received
as their chief lord, as most next of blood to
his brother deceased, and so did to him
homage and fexdty. Then he and his wife,
who had both the hearts of a lion, deter-
mined with their counsel to call a court
and to keep a solemn feast at Nantes at a
day limited, against the which day they
sent for all the nobles and counsels of the
good tO¥ms of Bretayne, to be there to do
Uieir homage and fesdty to him as to their
sovereign lord.
In the mean season, or this feast began,
the earl Montfort with a great number of
men of war departed firom Nantes and
went to Limoges;^ for he was informed
that the treasure that his fiuher' had
gathered many a day before was there kept
secret. W*h^ he came there he entered
into the city with great triumph, and did
him much honour, and was n<^y received
of the burgesses, of the clergy and of the
commons, and they all did him fealty as to
thdr sovereign lord ; and by such means
as he found, that great treasure was
dehvered to him : and when he had tarried
there at his pleasure, he departed with all
his treasure and came to Nantes to the
countess his wife. And so there they
tarried in great joy tin the day came of the
feast, and made great pcovisaons agaii^ the
same^ And when the day came and no
man appeared for no commftndment except
one knight, called sir Herve de LetMi, a nobie
and a nuissant man ; so they kept the feast a
three ^ys as w^ as they m%ht with sodi
as were there. Then it was determined to
retain soldiers a-hocsebsck and afoot, axxi so
to dispend his great treasure to attain to hb
purpose of the duchy and to constrain all
rebels to come to mercy. So soldiers were
retained on all sides and larg^ypaid^ so that
thev had a great number afoot and a-horse-
bac^ nobles and other of divers countries.
I The blK dttke of Krittany had bees
^ TbK true Kaklio)( » ^ fr'dK.
IVAI? IN BRITTANY, 1341
71
CHAPTER LXV
this earl of Montfort took the town and
castle of Brest.
CHAPTER LXVI
N the earl of Montfort took the city of
Rennes.
CHAPTER LXVII
V the earl Montfort took the town and
castle of Hennebont.
TMARY. — The earl of Montfort re-
i the surrender of Hennebont, Vannes,
\y and other places, seT/eral being gained
? influence of Hervi de Lion,
CHAPTER LXVni
the earl Montfort did homage to the king
England for the duchy of Bretayne.
^MAR K — The earl of Montfort passed
0 England and came to Windsor, where
as well received by the king and
He offered to do homage for the
of Brittany, fearing thai the French
would support Charles of Blois. The
f England thought that he might more
ibly enter France from Brittany than
Flanders, and accepted the homage,
sing to defend him against every man,
rench king or other. The earl then
ted to Brittany,
CHAPTER LXIX
the earl Montfort was summoned to
Lt the parliament of Paris at the request
he lord Chai:les of Blois.
MARY. — Sir Charles of Blois, con-
g himself to be the rightful inheritor
ittany by reason of his wife, came to
and complained to king Philip against
the earl of Montfort. Philip summoned the
earl to Paris ^ and he came with some four
hundred horse. He appeared before the
king and the peers of France, and denied
having done homage to Edward III, for the
duchy of Brittany, but maintained his pre-
tensions, submitting at the same4ime to the
judgment of the king. He was ordered not
to quit Paris for fifteen days and promised
to obey, but when he returned to his lodgings
he ^ sat and imagified many doubts,^ and
finally left Paris secretly and returned to
Brittany.
CHAPTER LXX
How the duchy of Bretayne was judged to
sir Charles of Blois.
SUMMARY.— The French king was dis-
pleased when he knew that the edrl of
Montfort was so departed. When the day
came for judgment to be given, the peers and
great barons decided that the duchy of Brit-
tany belonged clearly to the wife of Charles
de Blois. Sir Charles of Blois desired his
cousin the duke of Normandy, his uncle the
earl of Alen^on, with the duke of Burgundy,
the duke of Bourbon and other lords present,
to go with him into Brittany, and they
departed to make them ready.
CHAPTER LXXI
The lords of France that entered into
Bretayne with sir Charles of Blois.
SUMMARY, — The lords who have been
mentioned assembled at Angers and pro-
ceeded to Ancenis, and so entered Brittany
and took Champtoceaux. They then went
towards Nantes, where the earl of Montfort
was, and laid siege to it.
Skirmishes occurred divers times at the
barriers, and on one occasion the men of the
city commanded by Hervi de Lion suffered
heavy loss. Hervi de Lion was blamed by
the earl and was much displeased thereby.
72
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
CHAPTER LXXII
How the earl Montfort was taken at Nantes,
and how he died.
As I heard reported, there were certain
burgesses of the city saw how their goods
went to waste both without and within,
and had of their children and friends in
prison, and doubted that worse should
come to them after ; then they advised and
spake together secretly, so that finally they
concluded to treat with the lords of France,
so that they might come to have peace and
to have their children and friends clearly
delivered out of prison. They made this
treaty so secretly, that at last it was agreed
that they should have all the prisoners
delivered and they to set open one of the
gates, that the French lords might enter to
take the earl of Montfort in the castle,
without doing of any manner of hurt to the
city or to the inhabitants or goods therein.
Some said this was purchased by the means
and agreement of sir Herv^ de Leon, who
had been before one of the earl's chief
counsellors. Thus as it was devised, so it
was done : in a morning the French lords
entered and went straight to the castle and
brake open the gates, and there took the
earl of Montfort prisoner and led him clean
out of the city into their field, without doing
of any more hurt in the city. This was the
year of our Lord God MCCCXLI,, about the
feast of All Saints.
Then the lords of France entered into
the city with great joy ; and all the bur-
gesses and other did fealty and homage to
the lord Charles of Blois as to their right
sovereign lord ; and there they tarried a three
days in great feast. Then sir Charles of
Blois was counselled to abide there about
the city of Nantes till the next summer ;
and so he did, and set captains in such
garrisons as he had won. Then the other
lords went to Paris to the king and de-
livered him the earl of Montfort as prisoner.
The king set him in the castle of Louvre,
whereas he was long, and at last, as I
heard reported, there he died.
Now let us speak of the countess his
wife, who had the courage of a man and
the heart of a lion. She was in the city of
Rennes when her lord was taken, and how-
beit that she had great sorrow at her heart,
yet she valiantly recomforted her friends
and soldiers, and shewed them a little son
that she had, called John, and said : * Ah !
sirs, be not too sore abashed of the earl my
lord, whom we have lost : he was but a man.
See here my little child, who shall be by the
grace of God his restorer, and he shall do
for you all ; and I have riches enough ; ye
shall not lack ; and I trust I shall purchase
for such a captain, that ye shall be all re-
comforted.' When she had thus comforted
her friends and soldiers in Rennes, then
she went to all her other fortresses and
good towns, and led ever with her John her
young son, and did to them as she did at
Rennes, and fortified all her garrisons of
everything that they wanted, and paid
largely and gave freely, whereas she
thought it well employed. Then she
went to Hennebont, and there she and her
son tarried all that winter. Oftentimes
she sent to visit her garrisons, and paid every
man full well and truly their wages.
CHAPTER LXXin
How the king of England the third time
made war on the Scots.
SUMMARY,— The Scots had taken again
divers fortresses from the English, and
had laid siege to Stirling. So soon as
Edward returned, he rode towards Scotland
and assembled his artny at York, The
Scots ctssaulted Stirling with more urgency
and compelled the garrison to surrender,
Edivard moved on to Newcastle-upon- Tyne,
where he wets much in want of provisions,
because his ships were scattered by tempest
and now winter was at hand. The Scots,
being but few and without a head, sent to
make a truce with Edward ; and it was
agreed that they should send messengers to
king David, and if he came not to defend
his realm within the month of May follow-
ing, they should yield them to the king of
England. The king of England returned
and disbanded his host.
Meanwhile, without knowing of these
messengers, king David set sail from
France and landed in Scotland.
CHAPTER LXXIV
SUMMARY.— King David fvas nciived
with great joy aiid gaihend a gisat host.
They marrhed inlQ Mnglatid, leavitig Rox-
liurgk aad Berwick aside, and came to
Newcastie-ufoH- Tyjie. Here an attaci was
made upon them from the (own and the earl
CHAI'TER LXXV
SUMMARY. — The Scots left Netixastk
aiul came lo Durham, mad at having lost
Ike earl ef Moray. Sir John Naiill, cap-
tain at Nenxastle, rode viilhin Jive days
from thence to Chertsey, where the king lay,
and brought a report of the Scots. The
king ordered a gaura! levy to defend the
realm, and himself hastened nerthward.
Meaitaihile the Scots took Durhcaii by
assault and destroyed it utterly, mlh the
ciiirches, pulling to death men, women and
ekildren, and not sparing monks, prelates or
CHAPTER LXXVI
JMMAR Y- — King David drew tomca-d
CarSiU and passed by a castle of the
earl of Salisbury's,' whereof sir fVilliam
Montague, nepkrai to the earl of Salisbuiy,
vias captain. This sir William Montague
ttllacked the rear-guard of Ike Scots and
carried off seme of their plunder, luierefore
an assault mat made en the rastU. There
mas within the noble countess of Salisbury,
!Bho was reputed for the sagesi and fairest
lady of all Englaiid. Her husband, as vie
hiKe heard, had been taken prisoner before
' ProUbly Waill _ciull_e, biit Its whole of ihis
Lille in France. This lady comforted
ihem gieatly within, 'for by ike regard of
inch a lady and fy her sweet comforting a
Mian ought to be worth two men at need,'
After the first day it was proposed to send
for aid to king Edward, who lay at York,
and sir iVilliam Montague himself offered
to ride tkitker, and passii through the host
of Ike Scots by night. After several days of
fruitless assaults the king of Scots vias ad-
vised lo depart, for fear lest Ikt king ef Eng-
land should come thither, and tks Scots
retired to the forest of Jediaorih.
CHAPTER LXXVII
How [he kinK of England was in amours
wilh IbE countess of Salisbury.
The same day that the Seols deparled
rccim the said castle, king Edward came
thither with atl his host alxiut noon, and
came to the same place whereas the Scots
had lodged, and was sore displeased thai
he found not the Scots there, for he came
thithei in such haste, that his horse and
men were sore travaiied. Then he com-
manded to lodge there that night, and said
how he would go see (he caslle and the
noble lad; therein, for he had not seen her
sith she was married before : then every
man took his lodging n£ he list. And as
soon as the king was tinarmed, he took a
ten or twelve knights with him and went
to the caslle, to salute the countess of
Salishuiy and to sec the manner of the
assaults of the Scots and the defence that
was made against them.
As soon as the lady knew of the
king's coming, she set open the gates and
came out so richly lieseen, that every man
marvelled of her beauty and could not cense
to regard her nobleness, with her great
beauty and the gradous words and coun-
tenance that she made. When she came
lo Ihe king, she kneeled down to the earth,
thanking him of his succours, and so led
him into the caslle to make him cheer and
honour, as she that could right well do it.
Every man r^:arded her marvellously : the
king himself could not withhold his r^prd-
ing of her ; for he thought that he never
saw before so noble nor so fair a lady.
He was stricken therewith to Ihe heart
74
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
with a sparkle of fine love that endured
long after : he thought no lady in the world
so worthy to be beloved as she. Thus they
entered into the castle hand in hand : the
lady led him first into the hall and after
into the chamber, nobly apparelled. The
king regarded so the lady, that she was
abashed : at last he went to a window to
rest him, and so fell in a great study.
The lady went about to make cheer to
the lords and knights that were there, and
commanded to dress the hall for dinner.
When she had all devised and commanded,
then she came to the king with a merry
cheer, who was in a great study, and she
said : * Dear sir, why do ye study so for ?
Your grace not displeased, it appertaineth
not to you so to do. Rather ye should
make good cheer and be joyful, seeing ye
have chased away your enemies, who durst
not abide you. Let other men study for
the remnant.* Then the king said : * Ah !
dear lady, know for truth that sith I entered
into the castle, there is a study come to
my mind, so that I cannot choose but to
muse ; nor I cannot tell what shall fall
thereof: put it out of my heart I cannot.*
* Ah, sir,' quoth the lady, * ye ought always
to make good cheer to comfort therewith
your people. God hath aided you so in
your business, and hath given you so great
graces, that ye be the most doubted and
honoured prince in all Christendom ; and
if the king of Scots have done you any
despite or damage, ye may well amend it
when it shall please you, as ye have done
divers times or this. Sir, leave your musing
and come into the hall, if it please you :
your dinner is all ready.* * Ah ! fair lady,*
quoth the king, * other things lieth at my
heart, that ye know not of: but surely the
sweet behaving, the perfect wisdom, the
good grace, nobleness and excellent beauty,
that I see in you, hath so sore surprised
my heart, that I cannot but love you, and
without your love I am but dead.* Then
the lady said : * Ah, right noble prince, for
God's sake mock nor tempt me not. I
cannot believe that it is true that ye say,
nor that so noble a prince as ye be would
think to dishonour me and my lord my
husband, who is so valiant a knight and
hath done your grace so good service, and
as yet lietli in prison for your quarrel.
Certainly, sir, ye should in this case have
but a small praise, and nothing the better
thereby. I had never as yet such a
thought in my heart, nor I trust in God
never shall have, for no man living. If
I had any such intention, your grace ought
not all only to blame me, but also to punish
my body, yea and by true justice to be
dismembered.'^
Therewith the lady departed firom the
king and went into the hall to haste the
dinner. Then she returned again to the
king and brought some of his knights with
her, and said : * Sir, if it please you to
come into the hall, your knights abideth
for you to wash : ye have been too long
fasting.* Then the king went into^the
hall and washed, and sat down among
his lords, and the lady also. The king
ate but little ; he sat still musing, and as
he durst he cast his eyen upon the lady.
Of his sadness his knights had marvel, for
he was not accustomed so to be. Some
thought it was because the Scots were
scaped from him.*
All that day the king tarried there and
wist not what to do. Sometime he imagined
that honour and truth defended him to set
his heart in such a case, to dishonour such
a lady and so true a knight as her husband
was, who had always well and truly served
him. On the other part love so constrained
him, that the power thereof surmounted
honour and truth. Thus the king debated
in himself all that day and all that night.
In the morning he arose and dislodged all
his host and drew after the Scots, to chase
them out of his realm. Then he took
leave of the lady, saying, * My dear lady,
to God I commend you till I return again,
requiring you to advise you otherwise than
you have said to me. * * Noble prince, ' quoth
the lady, *God the Father glorious be
your conduct, and put you out of all villain
thoughts. Sir, I am and ever shall be
ready to do your grace service to your
honour and to mine. Therewith the king
departed all abashed ; and so followed the
Scots till he came to the city of Berwick,
and went and lodged within four leagues
of the forest of Gedeours, whereas king
^ * Mon corps punir, justicier et desmemhrer.*
S The celebrated game of chess, in which the
king purposely loses a valuable ring to the countess,
which she sends back to him on nis departure, is
only found in the (so-called) first redaction.
David and all his company were enlered,
in trust of the great wilderness. The king
of England tarried there a three days, to
see if the Scots would issue out to fight
wilh him. In these (hree days there were
divers skirmishes on holh parties, and
divers slain, liken and sore hurt among
Ihe Scots. Sir William Douglas was he
that did most trouble to the Knglishmen r
he hare azure, a comble silver, three slnra
gules.
CHAPTER LXXVIII
In these said three days there were noble-
men on both patties that treated for a peace
to be had between these two kings ; and
Iheit treaty look such effect, that a truce
was agreed, to endure Iwo year, so thai
the French king would thereto agree ; for
ihe king of Scots was so sore allied to the
French king, that he might take no peace
without his consent. And if so be the
French king would not agree to the peace,
then the truce to endure to the first day of
May following. And it was agreed that
Ihe earl of Moray should be quit for his
prisonment, if the king of Scots could
do so much, to purchase with the French
king that the earl of Salisbury might in
like manner be quit out of prison ; the
which thing -should be done before the
feas! of Saint John Baptist oext after.
The king of England agreed the sooner
lo this truce, because he had war in France,
in Gascoyne, in Poitou, in Saintonge, in
Bretayne ; and in every piace he had men
of war at his wages. Then the king of
Scots sent great messengers to the French
king, to agree to this truce. The French
king was content, seeing it was the desire
of the king of Scots. Then the eati of
Salisbury was sent into England, and the
king of England sent incontinent the earl
Mbray into Scotland.
CHAPTER LXXIX
How sir Charles dc Blois with divers lords
of France took the city of Reunes in
SUMMARY.— Sir Charles of Bins re-
mained at Nantes for Ihe winter, ami then
lead siege to Rtnnes. The coHnlessof Ment'
fort, v>ho was at Hennebant, sent to get help
from Ike king of Engbaid, ■uiho sent sir
Walter if Manny with a body of men of
arras and three ihciaand archers, but they
■were detained for sixty days on Iheirfiassa^
by contrary ■aiinds. Meanwhile the burgesses
of Renius yielded up their tt "
beginning ^ May M
CHAPTER LXXX
How' sir Charles de Blois besieged the
When the cily of Rennes was given up,
the burgesses made their homage and fealty
lo the lord Charles of Blois. Then he was
counselled to go and lay siege to Henne-
bont, whereas the countess was, saying that
Ihe earl being in prison, if they might get
Ihe countess and her son, it should make an
end of all their war. Then they went all
la HennebonI and laid siege thereto, and
lo Ihe castle also, as far as they might by
land. With ihe countess in Hennebont
there was the bishop of Leon in Bretayne,
also there was sir Ives of Tresiguidy, Ihe
lord of Landemau, sir William of Cadoudal,
and the chalclain of Guingamp, the two
brethren of Quirich, sir Henry and sir Oliver
of Spinefort, and divers other. When the
countess and her i:ompany understood that
When
o their
Charles and the Frenchmen
came near to the town, they commanded lo
lodge there that night. Some of Ihe young
lusty companions came skirmishing lo the
barriers, and some of them within issued out
lo ihem, so that there was a great affray ;
but the Genowaysand Frenchmen lost more
I
78
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
right nobly. And when they were aland,
she came to them with great reverence
and feasted them the best she might, and
thanked them right humbly, and caused
all the knights and other to lodge at their
ease in the castle and in the town, and the
next day she made them a great feast at
dinner. All night and the next day also
the engines never ceased to cast ; Ssmd after
dinner sir Gaultier of Manny, who was
chief of that company, demanded of the
state of the town and of the host without,
and said : ' I have a great desire to issue
out and to break down this great engine
that standeth so near us, if any will follow
me.* Then sir Ives of Tresiguidy said
how he would not fail him at this fails first
beginning, and so said the lord of Lander-
nau. Then they armed them, and so they
issued out privily at a certain gate, and
with them a three hundred archers, who
shot so wholly together that they that kept
the engine fled away ; and the men of arms
came after the archers and slew divers of
them that fled, and beat down the great
engine and brake it all to pieces. Then
they ran in among the tents and lodgings
and set fire in divers places and slew and
hurt divers, till the host b^an to stir : then
they withdrew &ir and eaisily, and they of
the host ran after them like mad - men.
Then sir Gaultier said : *■ Let me never be
beloved with my lady, without I have a
course with one of these followers ' ; and
therewith turned his spear in the rest, and
in likewise so did the two brethren of
Levedale and the Hase of Brabant, sir
Ives of Tresiguidy, sir Galeran of Lander-
nau and divers other companions. They
ran at the first comers : there might weU
a been l^p seen turned upward. There
b^^an a sore meddling, for they of the host
always increased, wherefore it behoved the
Englishmen to withdraw toward their for-
tress. There might well a been seen on
both parties many noble deeds, taking and
rescuing. The Englishmen drew sagely to
the dikes and there made a stall, till all
their men were in safeguard ; and all the
residue of the town issued out to rescue
their company, and caused them of the
host to recule back. So when they of the
host saw how they could do no good, they
drew to their lodgings, and they dL the
fortress in like wise to their lodgings.
Then the countess descended down from
the castle with a glad cheer and came and
kissed sir Gaultier of Manny and his com-
panions one after another two or three
times, like a valiant lady.
CHAPTERS LXXXII-LXXXVI
SUMMARY.— Tht French abatidoned the
siege of Henncboni and retired to Auray,
The castle of Conquest toos taken by the
French and retaken the next day by sir
Walter de Afanny.
The Fretuh took Dinan, Guc'rande,
Auray and Vannes. • Sir Walter de
Afanny defeated sir Louis of Spain at
QuimperU. Carhaix was surrendered to
sir Charles of Blois^ who then returned
to the siege of Hennebont. There he was
joined by sir Louis of Spain, who was
much angered by the defeat at QuimperU,
CHAPTER LXXXVII
How sir John Butler and sir Hubert of
Frenay were rescued from death before
Hennebont
On a day sir Louis of Spain came to the
tent of sir Charles de Blois and desired of
him a gift for all the service that ever he
had done, in the presence of divers lords
of France. And sir Charles granted him,
because he knew himself so much bound
to him. * Sir,* quoth he, * I require you
cause the two knights that be in prison in
Faouet to be brought hither, that is to say
sir John Butler and sir Hubert Frenay,
and to give them to me, to do with them
at my pleasure. Sir, this is the gift that I
desire of you : they have chased, discomfited
and hurt me, and slain my nephew Alphonso.
I cannot tell how otherwise to be revenged
of them, but I shall strike off their heads
before the town in the sight of their com-
panions.' Of these words sir Charles was
abashed and said : ' Certainly with right a
good will I will give you the prisoners,
sith ye have desired them ; but surely it
should be a shameful deed to put so to
death such two valiant knights as they be,
and it shall b^ an <xxasion to our «nemie$
to deal in like wise with any of ours, if they
fall in like case; and we kaovi cat what
shall dailf fall ; the t^lmnces of war be
divers ; wherefore, dear cousin, 1 re<iuire
yiiu to be better advised.' Then sar Louis
said: ' Sir, if ye keep not promise with me,
knotr ye for tnith thai I shall depart out of
your company and shall never serve nor love
you again, while I live.'
When sir Charles saw none other boot,
he sent to Faouet for the two knights, and
in a morning they were brought to sir
Charles of Blois' tent : hut for all that he
could desire, he coold not turn sir Louis of
Spain from his purpose, but said plainly that
they should be beheaded anon after dinner,
he was so sore displeased with them.
All these words that was between sir
Charles and sir Louis for the occasion of
these two knights, anon was come to the
knowledge of sir Walter of Manny by cer-
tain spies, thai shewed the mischief that
these two knights were in. Then he called
his company and took counsel what was best
to do. Some thought one thing, some
thought another, but they wist not what
remedy to find. Then sir Gaulticr of
Manny said : ' ^irs, it should be great
honour for us, if we might deliver out of
danger yonder two knights ; and if we put
it in adventure, though we fail thereof, yet
king Edward our master will can us much
thank therefor, and so will all other noble
men that hereafter shall hear of the case.
At leaist it shall be said how we did our
devoir. Sirs, this is mine advice, if ye will
follow it, for roe thinketh a man should well
adventure his body to save the lives of two
such valiant knights : mine advice is that
we divide ourselves into two parts, the one
part incontinent to issue out at Ibis gale and
to arrange themselves on the dikes, to stir
the host and to skirmish : I think that all
the whole host will come running thither.
And, sit Aymery, ye shall be captain of that
company, and lake with you a six thousand
good archers and three hundred men of
arms. And I shall take with me a hundred
men of arms and five hundred archers, and
I will issue out at the postern covertly and
shall dash into the host among the lodgings
behind, the which I thiidi we shall find as
good as void. I shall have such with me
as diall well bring me to the tent of sir
Charles de Blois, whereas I thmk we shall
d the two knights prisoners ; and I en-
sure you we shall do our devoir to deliver
them,' This device pleased them all, and
incontinent they armed them, and about
the hour of dinner sir Aymery of Gisson
issued out with his company and set open
the chief gate towards the host, and some
of them dashed suddenly into the host,
and cut down tents, and slew and hurt
divers. The host was in a sudden firay,
and in haste armed them and drew towards
Che Englishmen and Bretons, who fair and
easily reculcd back. There was a sore
skirmish, and many a man overthrown on
both parties. Then sir Aymery drew his
people along on the dikes within the bar-
riers, and the archers ready on both sides
the way to receive their enemies : the noise
and cry was so great, that all the whole
host drew thither, and left their tents void,
saving a certain varlets.
In the mean season sir Gaultier of Manny
and his company issued out at a postern
privily and came behind the host, and en-
tered into the lodgings of the French lords ;
for there were none to resist them, all were
at the skirmish. Then sir Gaultier went
straight to sir Charles of Blois' lent, and
found there the two knights prisoners, sir
Hubert of Frenay and sir John Butler, and
made them incontinent to leap upon two
good horses that they brought thither for
the same intent, and returned incontinent
and entered again into Hennebont the same
way they issued out. The countess re-
ceived them with great joy,
AH this season they fought still at the
gate. Then tiding came to the lord* of
France how the two knights prisoners were
rescued. When sir Lotus of Spain knew
thereof, he thought himself deceived, and
he demanded which way they were gone
that made that rescue ; and it was shewed
him how they were entered into Hennebont
Then sir Louis departed from the assault
and went to his lodging right sore dis-
pleased : then al! other left the assault. In
the retreat there were two knights that ad-
ventured themselves so forward, that they
were taken by the Frenchmen, the lord
Landemau and the chatelain of Guingamp,
whereof sir Charles of Blois had great Joy,
and they were brought to his tent, and there
they were so preached to, that they turned
to sir Charles party and did homage and
fealty to him.
8o
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
The third day after all the lords assembled
in the lord Charles' tent to take counsel,
for they saw well that Hennebont was so
strong and so well fortified with men of war,
that they thought they should win but
little there; and also the country was so
wasted, that they wist not whither to go
to forage ; and also winter was at hand :
wherefore they all agreed to depart. Then
they counselled sir Charles of Blois that he
should send new provisions to all cities,
towns and fortresses, such as he had won,
and noble captains with good soldiers to
defend their places from their enemies ; and
also if any man would treat for a truce to
Whitsuntide, that it should not be refused.
CHAPTERS LXXXVIII-XC
SUMMARY, — The town of Jugon was
betrayed to sir Charles of Blois by a rich
burgess,
A truce was nmdey and the countess of
Montfort passed over into England.
A feast and jousts were held in London
in honour of the countess of Salisbury.
The king of England sent Robert of
Artois with a force of men of arms and
archers to aid the countess of Montfort.
The lord Louis of Spain and the Genoese
waited for him on the sea about Guernsey.
CHAPTER XCI
Of the battle of Guernsey between sir Robert
d' Artois and sir Louis of Spain on the sea.
Sir Robert d'Artois earl of Richmond,
and with him the earl of Pembroke, the earl
of Salisbury, the earl of Suffolk, the earl
of Oxford, the baron of Stafford, the lord
Si>enser, the lord Bourchier, and divers
other knights of England and their com-
panies were with the countess of Montfort
on the sea, and at last came before the isle
of Guernsey. Then they perceived the
great fleet of the Genoways, whereof sir
Louis of Spain was chief captain. Then
their mariners said : * Sirs, arm you quickly,
for yonder be Genoways and Spaniards that
will set on you.* Then the Englishmen
sowned their trumpets and reared up their
banners and standards with their arms and
devices, with the banner of Saint George,
and set their ships in order with their
archers before : and as the wind served
them, they sailed forth. They were a
forty-six vessels, great and small ; but sir
Louis of Spain had nine greater than any
of the other and three galleys. And in the
three galleys were the three chief captains,
as sir Louis of Spain, sir Charles and sir
Ayton,^ and when they approached near
together, the Genoways began to shoot
with their cross-bows, and the archers of
England against them : there was sore
shooting between them and many hurt on
both parties. And when the lords, knights
and squires came near together, there was
a sore battle : the countess that day was
worth a man ; she had the heart of a lion,
and had in her hand a sharp glaive, where-
with she fought fiercely.
The Spaniards and Genoways that were
in the great vessels they cast down great
bars of iron and pieces of timber, the which
troubled sore the English archers. This
battle b^an about the time of evensong,
and the night departed them, for it was very
dark, so that one could scant know another.
Then they withdrew each from other and
cast anchors and abode still in their harness,
for they thought to fight again in the morn-
ing. But about midnight there rose such
a tempest, so horrible, as though all the
world should have ended. There was
none so hardy but would gladly have been
aland : the ships dashed so together, that
they weened all would have riven in pieces.
The lords of England demanded counsel of
their mariners, what was best to do : they
answered, to take land as soon as they
might ; for the tempest was so great, that
if they took the sea, they were in danger of
drowning. Then they drew up their
anchors, and bare but a quarter sail, and
drew from that place. The Genoways on
the other side drew up their anchors and
took the deep of the sea ; for their vessels
were greater than the English ships, they
might better abide the brunt of the sea ; for
if the great vessels had come near the land,
they were likely to have been broken. And
as they departed, they took four English ships
laded with victual and tailed them to their
1 Louis de la Cerda, called d'Espagne, Charles
Grimaldi and Ayton (Antonio) Doria.
IVA/^ IN BRITTANY, 1342
'he storm was so hideous, that in
a day they were driven a hundred
from the place where they were
And the English ships took a
fen not far from the dty of Vannes,
they were right glad.
CHAPTERS XCII-XCrV
Trrvi dt Lha and Ike lard Clisson
d Vantm, and sir Robert d'Arlois
tndtd in Ike deftnte. Afltr staying
ims ot HanuisM, he set sail for
i and then died. The king of
d, Co avenge his death, landed v/ilh
y near Vannes, and laid siege In the
lesef Blois s/nt for aid h the French
The king of Ettgland left a fores
Vannes and went on to Nanles.
ilso ke left a part of his army and
ag laid siege le Ditian.
CHAPTER XCV
e king of England was thus in
, wasting and destroying the
., nich as he had lying at siege
Vannes gave divers assaults, and
y at one of ihe gates. And on a
■re was a great assault and niany
arms done on both parties. They
set open the gate and came to the
, because they saw the earl of
Ji^ banner and theearlof Anindel's,
rd Stafford's and sir Waller of
i, adventnring themselves jeopaid-
"^ ly thought : wherefore Ihe lord
' Herv^ o[ Leon and other
pthemselveB courageijusly. There
Alnnitili : Haa-Wy Oie Englishmen
"' : thentheknifililsof Brelayne
opened the barriers and adventured them-
selves, and left six knights with a good
number to keep the town, and they issued
out after the Englishmen. And the Eng-
lishmen reculed wisely, and ever Ibught ai
they saw their advantage. The Englishmen
multiplied in such wise that at last the
Frenchmen and Bretons were fain to recule
back a^in to their town, not in so good
order as they came forth. Then the
Englishmen followed them again, and
many were slain and hurt. They of the
town saw their men recule again and
chased : then they closed their barriere in
so evil a lime, that the lord Clisson and sir
Herv^ of Leon were closed without, and
there they were both taken prisoners. And
on the other side the lord Stafford was gone
in so far, that he was closed in between the
gate and the barriers, and there he was
taken prisoner, and divers that were with
him taken and slain. Thus the Englishmen
drew to their lodgings, and the Bretons into
the city of Vannes.
CHAPTERS XCVI-XCIX
■lAfAflY.—
loak Dinaa by ai
sir Louis of Spain kept theseaanddid much
damage to the English ships.
The duke of Noimandy, the earl ef Alen-
fOH, the dukt of Bourbm and many ol&tr
fora which lay before Nanles t
The duke of Normandy eami tip from
Nanles and lay over against the king of
England at Vannes. Thekingof Ettgland
sent for them that lay at siege before Sjennes.
The two hosts lay am against the other till
it was mill onward ia winter. Then by
means of Iwo cardinals sent by Ihe pope
Clement VI. a Ir-uee vias agreed to for three
The lord Clisson was exchanged for the
lord Stafford, but en suspicion ^ treason he
teas shortly after put to death by the French
i
K>d ^H
led ^H
,t redaci
i
Sz THE CHROXICLES OF FROISSART
ff i» *j» vom i^r*u rfrf^ :>aSr *r
Br^^^MmroMaWVrmaxJjr. Ti^ :jrj C^tisim CHAPTER CI
ammUss jf Mam^^rt mmJ ktr sum, -aria vstxr How ibe kaag of EngSanrf drfrnered ont of
jr'lfr JL^ * pcisoQ SET Hcm^ of Leon.
While the king: made this prcfaiatioo at
; Wlodsor for this said feast. tidiDgs came to
CHAPTER C him how the lo«d Oissioo and direis other
kiwis had ktss their heads in Fiance, where-
of zht order of Saint George, that king with the kic^ was store d^pleased, inso-
Bf v-2jFf -gtahieshftff m. %ht casde of moch thit he was in porpose to have served
^"^afisor. SIT Her^nt of Leon in Bke case, whom he
had in pciscn: bat his coisin the earl of
Ix rim season the king of England took I>erbir shewed to him before his coandl such
pfeziflcre Z£r new le-edilRr the czssle of W md- reasocs to assna^ his ire and to refrain
sor, che wiuch was begim by kii^ Arthnr. his coora^. saying, " Sir« thoogh that king
Tiisd dnere test began the Table Roond, Philip in his hasce hath done so fool a deed
where^M- spraz^ the £&me of so many noUe as to pat to death svsch Tafiant knights, yet,
krsg^iiS thioi^boat aQ the world. Then sir. tor all that blemish not yoor nobleness :
kis:^ Edward determined to make an order and. sir. to say the tnrth, your prisoiier
aiod a ijtocherhood of a certain nmnber of ought to bear no blanae for this deed ; bat,
kz!%h2s, and to be called kn^ts of the Blue sir. pat him to a reasonable raieom.'
Gariiia'.aisdateasttobekepcyearlyatVViiKi- Then the king sent for the kn^fat
»x <oo Szint Geofge's day. And to begin prisoner to come to his presence, and then
tSuK •ordfT liae kii^ assembled together earls, said to him : * Ah. ar Herve, sir Herve,
lorids arikd loitights of his realm, and shewed . mine adrersaiy Phihp of Valots hath shewed
ij]iem sss in^iendoQ : ajpd they all poyoosly his felony r%ht cnsd, to pat to dkath socfa
agreed za his pleasore, because tSaer saw it knights, wherewith I am sore displeased :
was a i]]ing zr^iach honoorable and whereby ^md it is thou^t to as * that he hath done it
great amiiry aod lore should grow and in- I in despite of as ; and if I woold regard his
crea.ie. Then was there chosen oat a certain malice. I shoold serve too in tike manner,
wsssakinx -of lite moit valiamest nten of the ^ T^ have done me UMre disf^easore, and
reaibimu. urA ihey sware and sealed to main- to mine in Bretayne. than any other person,
tain tlsit •crdimnces, sodi as were devised : But I will saner it and let him do his worst,
and zbit fcrng made a ^^-p^L in the castle of tor to my power I will keep mine honour ;
Wlntifse^r. of Saint Genrge, and stabiidied ^nd I am content ve shall coote to a light
cercaia canons there to serve God, and ransom, for the love of my coa^ of Derby,
endowed them with hit re&!L Then the ^^ hath desired me for yoa, so that ye
kii^ sessi to publish this least by his heralds . ^'^ *^ that I shall shew you.' The
STEo Fraijce, Scotland, BorgoyDe. Hafnaalt. ? kn^t answered and said : ' Sir, I shall do
FSaDdesrs, Brabant, axxd into the Empire of ^ ^^^^ ve shall command me.' Then
Alsiaiiae, St^i^ to every kn^t ai&^i sipire said the kii^ : ' I know well ye be one of
•hai wodd come to ihe said iestsi. tditxn ^^le richest kn^ts in Bretayne. and if I
iiy> of sde-coodocl before the feast and ^^oold sore press you, ye ;^ioald pay me
sfier : tie whici: Jeiss lo begin at Windsor thirty or forty thousand scutes. But ye
1 n Sjiin: Gf i-rge <i2y r.eit after in the year ^^^^ §P *<> niine adversary PhiBip of ValoK»
:f 1 .IT L r : v.-zcchl-ZY . . aad the qziees lo ^^^d shew him on my bdialf that, sith he
* e :htrrr i : : - zarJt-f wriib ihree hundred ^^^^ so shamefoUy put to death so valiant
Ii lif- 2- : iz~. r^l^ a]] of noble licsea^ knighis in the despite of me. I say and will
iL-f 2::2--t"ri 2.cc:rfini:3y. make it good he hath broken the truce
:aken between me and him ; wherefore also
I rexMunce it on my part and defy him from
1^ day forward. And so that ye will dq
' "It seewKtosaoflBcof o«ar putT.*
THE EARI. OF DERBY IN GASCONY, 1345
83
this message, your ransom shall be but ten
thousand scutes, the which ye shall pay and
send to Bruges within fifteen days after ye
be past the sea : and moreover ye shall say
lo all knighls and squires of tiose parts,
Ihal for ali thi* they leave not to come to
onr fe.-vst at Windsor, for we would gladly
see them, and Ihey shall have sure and safe
conduct to return fifteen days after the
(east.' ' Sir,' said the knight, 'to the best
of my power I shall accomplish your
message, and God reward your grace for
the courtesy ye shew me, and also I humbly
Ihank my lord of Derby of his good-will.'
And so sit Herve of Leon departed from
the king and went to Hampton, and there
look Ihe sea, to the intent to arrive at
Horfleur ; but a stomi took him on the sea,
which endured fifteen days, and lost his
horse, which were coat into the sea, and sir
Ilerve of Leon was so sore troubled that he
had never health after. Howbcit at last he
look land at Crotoy, and so he and all his
company went albot to Abbeville, and there
Ihey got hoises : but sit Hervd was so sick
ihal he was fein to go in a litter, and so
cnme lo Paris to king Philip and did his
message from point lo point : and he lived
not long after, but died as he went into his
cfiunlty in the city of Angers ; God assoil
his souL
CHAPTERS CII-CVI
SUMMAR Y.^On Ihe day ef Saint Georp
tkt king btld his feast at Wittdsar, to which
lamc knights of divers cmattries, lint none
The king sent Ike earlof Dtriy ta go into
ilascony, and -with hifi tht earls of Pembroke
.md OifarH, sir Walter de Manny and
others. The king sent sir Thomas Dag-
uiar/h into Brittany and thi earl of Salts-
I'vry into Ireland.
The earl of Derby came to Bordeaux;
and meanwhili the lord de I 'Isle gathered
llie lords ef the French forty together and
ihty resolved to hold the passage of Ihe ) ' —
<il Ber^roi. '
The earl of Derhy rode to Bergerac
leak the town, the French lards dtpaiiing
In !a Reole. Leasing Bergerac the earl of
ibc ijDFdoi^e^
Derhy conquered many fortresses in upper
Gasctny, and then returned to Bordeaux.
The earl de I'tsle laid siege to Auberoche,
vihieh had ieen eapiured by the earl of
Derby. The garrison endeavoured to send
a messenger to Bordeaux, bat he was inttr-
cepted and shot back into the lawn from an
CHAPTER CVH
All the matter of taking of this messenger
with the letter and necessity of them within
Auberoche was shewed lo the earl of Derby
by a spy that had been in the French host.
Then the earl of Derby sent lo the earl of
Pembroke, being at Bergerac, 10 meet with
him at a certain place : also he sent for the
lord Slafibrd and to sir Stephen Tombey,
being at Liboume, and the earl himself,
with sir Gaultier of Maimy and his com-
pany, rode towards Anberoche, and rode
so secretly with such guides as knew Ihe
country, that the earl came lo Liboume
and there tarried a day abicling the eail of
Pembroke. And when he saw that he
came not, be went forth, for the great
desire that he had to aid them in Auberoche.
Thus the carl of Derby, the earl of Oiford,
sir Gaultier of Manny, sir Richard Hastings,
sir Stephen Tombey, the lord Ferrers and
the other issued out of Libourne and rode
all the night, and in the morning they were
within two little leagues of Auberoche.
They entered into a wood and lighted from
their holies and tied their horses to pasture,
abiding for the earl of Pembroke, and there
tarried till it was noon. They wist not
well then what to do, because they were
but three hundred spears and sis hundred
archers, and the Frenchmen before Aube-
roche were a ten or twelve thousand men ;
yet they thought it a great shame to lose
their companions in Auberoche. Finally
sir Gaultier of Manny said : 'Sirs, let us
leap on our horses and let us coast under
the covert of this wood, till we
same side that joineth lo their host, and
when we be near, put the spurs lo the
horses and cry our cries. We shall
i
1
THE CHROXICLES OF FROISSART
w&tle t&er be at sapper and tmware of us :
ve shall see them be so discomiiced* that
tber shall keep ooDe arrtiT. '
An che loctb ami koighcs agreed to hits
ssyin^ r then everr obui took his horse and
ofdotned all their pages and boggige to
abide stSl thereas tfiaev were. So a«T rode
soil along by the wood,, and came to a bcttlie
river in a vale near to the French host.
T!ien dxer displayed thett banners an«.(
pennons and dashed their spurs to thetr
horses» and came hi a ftooc into the French
host amoQi^ the Gascons,, who were nothing
ware o£ that bushmenL Ther were $oin^
to supper, and some resi^ set at tbetr meat :
the Eagtishmen cried,. ^ A Derbr^a CVrby '/^
and overthrew tents and pavilions^ and
siew and hurt manr. Tbe Frenchmen
wist not what Co do» ther were so hasted :
when the^ctme into the tteld and assembled
together^ they found the Engfish archers
there ready so receive them> who shot so
^oerceiy, tfntt they slew man and horse and
hurt many. The earl of tlsle was taken
prisoner in his own tent and sore hurt» amf
the eari of Perigord and sir Rv^jer his imde
in dior tenrs : and there was slain the tord
of Duras [andj sir .Vymar of Foitiers> and
che earl of Valentinois his brother was
taken : every man dfed that might best, but
Jie eari of Comminges, the viscount of
Caramon ami of ^"illemur and of Bruniquel,
ami die lorrl de la Bop-i ind of Terriiie. ami
other ±at were ladge»i in die other side ot*
tile castle, virew Imck and went int«) the
aefds with their banners. The Englishmen*
who had overcome oil die otrier, lashed iii
tierceiy among diem : diere was many a
proper feat of arms done, many raken and
rescued again. When they wtciiin die castle
heani timt noise without ami saw the
Engtish banners and pennonsv :nc*jncinent
hey armed ±em and issued out, and rusheu
into :he diickest of die press : ±ey ^^reariy
ntjnt^ei die EmrRshmen that had !t?ught
:htare Deibre. Whereto shouiii I make long
irrx-rsf - XA :hi:se ?f the eari of I'Isie's
yar'" \ -r*:: ii^^h ill :aksn or <tain : if :he
Hi;".: :au -i>.i -jine jn. there haii but few
^r-irrr-.. Titrr*:; vire "^akea :hut lay. what
rj.r\- „: . ■•:rOjunLs :■) -.he number jf nine,
ami .'[ .:r:-. <niL;hc:> ind >ouires titke'i s.'
ttiac tnere -vas no Enij'ish man of .trms but
tfaa£ nasi two jr three •■»rr>^iners» This
^ The French :s • Derbi, Derui, .lu .^jmCe '.
battle was on Saint Lawrence night, the
year of our Lord MCCCXLiv,^ TheEi^lish-
men v&»h l£ke gjood companions with their
'■' pcisonecs aflti sufined many to depart on
thenr oath and pcomise to retom again at a
certain viay to Bergetac or to Bofdeanx.
Then ^ Ehgfii^men entered into Aube-
roche» and there dfee earl of Derby gave a
supper to tfiae most port of the eails and
vcscouncs DnsoiKfs,. and to many of the
knights and squbcesw The Englishmen gave
laud to God. in that that a thoosand of
them had overcome ten thousand of their
enemies and had rescued the town of Aabe*
roche ami saved their companions that wore
within, who br all hkelihood shonki have
been taken within two days after.
The next day anon opon sannrising thather
came the earl of Pembroke with his com-
rany^ a three hunsihed spears and a fonr
thousand archers^ Then he said to the earl
oflXfrby: ''Certainly^ cousin,, ye have done
me ^reat uncourtesy to light wil^ our
enenues without me : seeing that ye sent
ii>r me, ve might have been sure I wonhl
aot tail to come. ' " Fair cousiiu' quodt tihe
earl of Perby> ' we deared greatly to have
had vou with us: we tarried all ihiy tiE k
was £ur p^t noon» and when we saw thai
ve came Qot>we durst not abide no longer;
tor if our enemies had known of our coam^
dhey hud been in a great advantage over as ;
and now we have the advantage of rtWuw-
I *jray ,vou» be content,, and help to guxie
us to Bordeau-x,* i?o they tarried all that
viay and die next night in Auberodhe : ami
die next Jay betimes they departed,, ami
led captain in Auberoche a knight of
Gascony called Alexamier of Chanmoot,
Thus they rode to Bordeaux and led
diem the most part of their prisoners
CH.\?TER CViri
Of dw ^jwns that die etui of Derby won in
'-rasojyne. going toward the Reoie.
SZ\h\\fAXT. — ru :art ./ Cirby '
• ?*V* Jate is wnjujf : "c ras :n r ^^ ;
•his *:k>m; .-oiBjKuiijn, otw vrwnuny oa tiie ust of
•^ l"^c <s«ril .rt Derby iid :>oc .wmcer ai Boxtieamc
'mc ^^HinuKU 'lis )p«nUK»tEs. La Rti>jMt .was
THE EARL OF DERBY IN GASCONY, 1345
85
the earl of Pembroke at Bergerac and so on
towards la Riole. Sainte-Bazeille submitted
and la Roche Meilhan was taken by assault:
Monsigur was besieged for fftun days and
then a truce wcu agreed to with the captain
there, to see if the king of France would
send aid within a month, Aiguillon
surrendered, for which the captain of it
was charged with trecuon and hanged at
Toulouse, CcutelsagrcU was taken by assault.
CHAPTER CIX
How the earl of Derby laid siege to the
Reole, and how that the town was yielded
to him.
Thus the earl of Derby came before the
Reole and laid siege thereto on all sides,
and made bastides in the fields and on the
ways, so that no provision could enter into
the town, and nigh every day there was
assault. The si^e endured a long space.
And when the month was expired that
they of Segur should give up their town,
the earl sent thither, and they of the town
gave up and became under the obeisance of
the king of England : the captain, sir Hugh
Badefol, became servant to the earl, with
other that were within, upon certain wages
that they had. The Englishmen, that had
lien long before the Reole, more than nine
weeks, had made in the mean space two
belfries of great timber with three stages,
every belfry on four great wheels, and the
sides towards the town were covered with
cure boly to defend them from fire and from
shot, and into every stage there were
pointed an hundred archers. By strength
of men these two belfiries were brought
to the walls of the town, for they had so
filled the dikes that they might well be
])rought just to the walls. The archers in
these stages shot so wholly tc^ether, that
none durst appear at their defence without
they were well pavised ; and between these
two belfries there were a two hundred men
with pick -axes to mine the walls, and so
they brake through the walls. Then the
burgesses of the town came to one of the
gates to speak with some lord of the host.
\Vhen the earl of Derby knew thereof, he
sent to them sir Ganltier of Manny and the
baron of Stafford ; and when they came
there, they found that they of the town
would yield them, their lives and goods
saved.
[When] sir Agot des Baux, who was
captain within, knew that the people of the
town would yield up, he went into the
castle with his company of soldiers ; and
while they of the town were entreating, he
conveyed out of the town great quantity of
wine and other provision, and then closed
the castle gates and said how he would not
yield up so soon. The foresaid two lords
returned to the earl of Derby shewing him
how they of the town would yield them-
selves and the town, their lives and goods
saved. Then the earl sent to know how
the captain would do with the castle, and
it was brought word again to him how he
would not yield. Then the earl studied a
little and said : * Well, go take them of the
town to mercy, for by the town we shall
have the castle.' Then these lords went
again to them of the town and received
them to mercy, so that they should go out
into the field and deliver the earl of Derby
the keys of the town, saying, * Sir, from
henceforth we knowledge ourselves subjects
and obeisant to the king of England ' : and
so they did, and sware that they should
give no comfort to them of the castle, but
to grieve them to the best of their powers.
Then the earl commanded that no man
should do any hurt to the town of Reole
nor to none of them within.
Then the earl entered into the town and
laid si^e round about the castle, as near as
he might, and reared up all his engines, the
which cast night and day against the walls,
but they did little hurt, the walls were so
strong of hard stone : it was said that of
old time it had been wrought by the hands
of the Saracens, who made their works so
strongly that there is none such nowadays.
When the earl saw that he could do no
good with his engines, he caused them to
cease : then he called to him his miners, to
the intent that they should make a mine
under all the walls, the which was not soon
made.
86
THE CHROmCLES OF FROISSART
CHAPTER CX
How ar Walter of Mannr found in the cawii
of tbe Reole the sepnrchre of his fiither.
While this asege endured and that the
miners were a-work^ the Lord Gaokier of
Manny remembered how that his father was
tJafn going a pilgprimage to Saint Jamesy
-xTuK how he heard in his jonth. bow he
should be baried in the Reole or thereoboot.
Then he made it to be enquired in the town»
if there were an j man conki shew him his
£ither''s tomb^ fee should have a hundred
crowns for his labour : and there was an
aged man came to :ar Gaultier aod said :
' Sir, I ^^TnIc I can bring you near to the
place where your feLtber was buried^' Then
the lord of Manny saki : ' If your words be
true, I ^H-'^n keep covenant and more.*
Now ye shaJH hear the manner how the
kxd Gaultier *s fiither was sTarn. It was
true ^^^^*^ sometime there was a bishop in
Cambreasy a GESscoa bom of the house of
MirqpoKx : and so it fortuned that in his
c^Ejs there was at a time a great toumeving
before Cam-bray, whereas there were live
hundred knights on both parties. And
there was a knight Gascon tourneyed
with the lord of Manny, fhrher to sir
Gaultier, and this kn^ht of Gascoyne was
so sore hurt and beaten, that he hsbd Jtst^ex
}e\f^\x\\ after, but died. Thb knight was of
kin to the said btsfaop ; wherefore the lord
of Manny was in his ind^nation and of aU
his linesige. A two or three year after
certain good men laboured to make peace
b^rweoi theoEi, and so they did: aiui for
^mt^A^ the lord of 3>Ianny was bound to
go a pilgrimage to Saint Jame&. And so
he went thitherward ; and as he came fiarby
the town of Reole, the same season tiie earl
Charles of Valois, brother to king PhHip,
lay at aege before the Reole, the which as
then was English, and divers other towns
2SlA cities, then pertaining to the king of
England, father to the king that laid siege
to Tournay : so that the lord of Manny,
after the reniming of his pilgrimage, he
came to see the earl of Valois, who was
there as king. And as the lord of Manny
. at night to his lodging, he was watched
■fay certain of them of the lineage
dbe lord of >Ianny had made
\§Bm, aod so without the earl^s
fodging he was slain and murdered, and no
man knew who (&i it. Howfo»t they of
that hneiige were held suspect in the matto*,
but they were so strong and ma^cie such
excuses^ that the matter passed* for there
was none that wouM pursue the k>rd of
Manny's quarrdL Then the earl of Valois
caused him. to be burned in a httLe (jiap^ in
the &e{d» the which as tiben was withotzt the
of Reole; and ^iriien the earl of
town
Valois had won the town, then the walls
were made more larger, so that the chapel
was within the town.
Thus was ar GaoltKr o^ Manny^ s Either
slain ; and this old man romembered all this
matter, for he was present when he was
buried. Then sir Gaultier of Manny went
with this good aged man to the place
whereas his fitther was buried, and tiMre
they found a httle tomb of marble over him,
the which his servants laid on him after he
was buried. Then the old man said : ' Sir,
surely under this tomb ^eth your ^ther.'
Then the lord of Manny read the scripture
ott the tomb^ the which was in Latin,^ and
there he found that the old man had said
truth, and g^xve him his reward. And
withm two da]rs after he made the tomb to
be Eaised and the born^ of his fiidher to be
taken, up and put in a cofioer, and after did
send them to Valenciennes in the county of
H^mauFt, and m the Friars there made
them tx7 be buried again honourably, and
did there hi^ obsequy rig^t goodly^ the
which is yet kept yearly.
CHAPTER CXI
How the earl of I^rby won the castle of the
Reole.
Now let us return to the siege aboat the
castle of the Reole. the which had ex»iured
eli^ren weeks. So long wrou^t the miners
that at last they came under the base court,
but under the donjon they could not get, for
it stood on a hard rock.* Then sir Agot
^ t ' Then sir W^^ter of Mamxy caused the UKscrqx-
tibn, which, was ia Ijrin^ cu be read b j a clerk of
his.*
3 '^So lonff wtcm^ht the miiers ... tfte»» ther
came beneimt the casde and so &r forth that thcf
cost dowa 3. b}w court (rvtct/ tower) ta the cnxter dr-
cnit of tile castle, but to the mom tower of th^
(ionjoa tihe^cooJil (io no QI^ fi^ it was masooed apoa
tuckr <^ whadi zu bonaia could be fuund.'
r
CAPTURE OF LA R&OI-E, 13^5
des Baiix iheit captain said to bis company :
' Siis, we be undormined. so that we are in
great danger.' Then Ihcy were all sore
afraid, and said : Sir, ye are in a great
danger, and we aiso, wiuiout ye find some
remedy : ye are our chief and we will obey
you truly. We have kept this house right
honourably a long season, and though we
now make a composition, we cannot be
blamed. Assay if ye can get grant of the
earl of Derby to let us depart, our lives and
goods saved, and we to deliver to him this
Then sir Agot descended down from the
high tower and did put out his bead at a
little window and made a token to speak
with some of the host. Then he was de-
manded what he would have ; he said he
would lain speak widi the earl of Derby or
with the lord of Manny. When the earl
knev^ thereof, he said to the lord of Manny
and the lord Stafford : ' Let us go to the for-
tress and know what the captain will say.'
Then they rode together, and when sir Agot
saw them, he took off his cap and saluted
them, each after other, and said : ' Lords,
it is of truth that the French king sent me
to this town to defend and to keep it, and
the castle, to my power ; and ye know right
well how I have acquit mysdf in that be-
half, and yet would if I might : but always
a man may not abide in one place. Sir,
if it wiil please you, I and sU my com-
pany would depart, our lives and goods
saved, and we shall yield unto you the
iiien the earl of Derby said : 'Sit Agot,
ye chall not go so away; we know right
well we have so sore oppressed yon, that we
may have you when we Ust ; for your fortress
standeth but upon stays. Yield you simply,
and we will recave you.' Sir Agot aajd :
' Sir, if we did 50, I think in you so much
honour and gentleness, that ye would deal
but courteously with us, as ye would the
French king should deal with any of your
knights. For God's sake, sir, blemish not
yokir nobleness for a poor sort of soldiers
ihat be here within, who hath won with
much pain and peril their poor living, whom
1 have brought hither out of Provence, of
Savoy, and out of Dauphiny. Sir, know for
iiulh that if the least of us should not come
1) mcrci^as well as the best, we will rather
aell our Kwt »n ■Btin'^M' that all the world
should speak of us. Sir, we desire you to
bear us some company of arms, and we
shall pray for you.'
Then the earl and the other two lords
went apart and spake together. They spake
long together of divers things : finally they
r^arded the truth of sir Agot, and con-
sidered how he was a stranger, and also they
saw that they could not undermine the
donjon, [and so] they agreed to receive Ibem
to mercy. Then the earl said to sir Agot ;
' Sir, we would gladly to all strangers bear
good company ofarms. I am content that ye
and all your company depart with your lives
saved, so that you bear away nothing but
your armour.' 'So be it,' ijuoth sir Agot.
Then he went to his company and shewed
them how he had sped. Then they did on
their harness and look their horses, whereof
they had no more but six. Some bought
horses of the Englishmen, the which they
paid for [ruly. Thus sir .\got des BauJt
departed from the Reole and yielded up the
castle to the Englishmen, and sir Agot and
his company went to Toulouse.
CHAPTERS CXII, CXIIl
SUMMARY. — The earl of Derby look
Monpezal by assaull, and Castelmoron by
strategy. Thence he departed and took VUle-
francke and other towns and castles, and
received the submission of AngaulSme.'
Finally he retired to Bordeaux for the
CHAPTER CXIV
In this season sit Godfrey of Harcourt
fell in the indignation of the French king,
who was a great baron in Normandy and
brother to the earl of Harcourt, lord of
Saint-Saviour the Viscount and divers other
towns in Normandy ; and it was said all
was but for envy, for a bttle before he was
as great with the king and with the duke
of Normandy as he would desire ; but he
then openly banished the realm of
ITheca
i.»ryi
88
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
France, and if the king could have got him
in his ire, he would have served him as he
did sir Oliver of Clisson, who was be-
headed the year before at Paris. This sir
Godfrey had some friends, who gave him
warning secretly how the king was dis-
pleased with him. Then he avoided the
realm as soon as he might, and went into
Brabant to the duke there, who was his
cousin, who received him joyfully. And
there he tarried a long space and lived of
such revenues as he had in Brabant ; for
out of France he could get nothing : the
king had seized all his lands there of
Cotentin, and took the profit thereof him-
self. The duke of Brabant could in no wise
get again this knight into the king's favour,
for nothing that he could do. This displea-
sure cost greatly the realm of France after,
and specially the country of Normandy ; for
the tokens thereof remained a hundred
year after, as ye shall hear in this history.
CHAPTER CXV
Of the death of Jaques d'Arteveld of Gaunt.
In this season reigned in Flanders in great
prosperity and puissance Jaques d'Arteveld
of Gaunt, who was as great with the king
of England as he would desire : and he
had promised the king to make him lord
and heritor of Flanders, and to endow his
son the prince of Wales therewith, and to
make the county of Flanders a dukedom.
For the which cause about the feast of
Saint John Baptist, the year of our Lord
God MCCCXLV., the king of England was
come to Sluys with many lords and knights,
and had brought thither with him the
young prince his son, on the trust of the
promise of Jaques d'Arteveld. The king
with all his navy lay in the haven of Sluys,
and there he kept his house, and thither
came to visit him his friends of Flanders.
There were great councils between the
king and Jaques d'Arteveld on the one
party and the counsels of the good towns
of Flanders on the other party ; so that
they of the country were not of the agree-
ment with the king nor with Jaques d'Arte-
veld, who preached to them that they
^ disherit the earl Louis their own
and to enherit the son of the king of Eng-
land ; the which thing they said surely they
would never agree unto. And so the last
day of their council, the which was kept in
the haven of Sluys in the king's great ship,
called the Katheriney there they gave a
final answer by common accord, and said :
* Sir, ye have desired us to a thing that is
great and weighty, the which hereafter
may sore touch the country of Flanders
and our heirs. Truly we know^ not at this
day no person in the world that we love
the preferment of so much as we do yours ;
but, sir, this thing we cannot do alone,
without that all the commonalty of Flanders
accord to the same. Sir, we shall go home,
and every man speak with his company
generally in every town, and as the most
part agree, we shall be content : and within
a month we shall & here with you again
and then give you a full answer, so that
ye shall be content.' The king nor Jaques
d'Arteveld could as then have none other
answer : they would fain have had a short
day, but it would not be. So thus departed
that council, and every man went home to
their own towns.
Jaques d'Arteveld tarried a little season
with the king, and still he promised the
king to bring them to his intent ; but he
was deceived, for as soon as he came to
Gaunt, he went no more out again. For
such of Gaunt as had been at Sluys at the
council there, when they were returned
to Gaunt, or Jaques d'Arteveld was come
into the town, great and small they as-
sembled in the market-place; and there
it was openly shewed what request the
king of England had made to them by
the setting on of Jaques d'Arteveld. Then
every man began to murmur against Jaques,
for that request pleased them nothing, and
said that by the grace of God there should
no such untruth be found in them, as
willingly to disherit their natural lord and
his issue, to enherit a stranger : and so
they all departed from the market-place,
not content with Jaques d'Arteveld.
Now behold and see what fortune fell.
If he had been as welcome to Gaunt as he
was to Bruges and Ipres, they would [have]
agreed to his opinion, as they did ; but he
trusted so much in his prosperity and
creatness, that he thought soon to reduce
' his pleasure.
about noon. They of the lown knew of
his com'nig, and many were assembled
logether in the street whereas he should
pass. And when they saw liim, Ihey
ticgan Co murmur, and began lo run together
three heads in one hood and said : ' Behold
yonder great master, who will order all
Flanders afler his pleasure, the which is
not to be suffered.' Also [here were words
sown through all the town, how Jaques
d'Artevcld had nine year assembled all
the revenues of Flanders without any count
given, and (hereby hath kept Ms estate,
■■md also sent great riches out of the country
into England secretly. These words set
ihem of Gaunt on fire, and as he rode
through the street, he perceived that there
was some new matla against him, for he
saw such as were wont to make reverence
to him as he came by, he saw them turn
their backs toward him and enter into
Iheir houses. Then he began to doubt ;
and as soon as he was alighted in his lodg-
ing, he closed fast his gates, doors and
windows. This was scant done but all
the street was full of men, and specially of
them of the small crafts : there they assailed
his house both behind and before, and the
house broken up. He and his within the
house defended themselves a long space,
nnd slew and hurt many without ; but
finally he could not endure, for three parts
of the men of the town were at that assault.
When Jaques saw that he was so sore
oppressed, he came to a window with great
liumilily bare-headed, and said with fair
bngunge : ' Good people, what aileth you ?
^^'hy \x you so sore troubled against me ?
In what manner have 1 displeased you ?
Shew me, and 1 shall make you amends at
ynur pleasures. ' Then such as heard him
answered all with one voice: 'We wiU
have account made of the great treasure of
Flanders, that ye have sent out of the way
without any title of reason.' Then Jaijues
answered meekly and said i ' Certainly,
HIS, of the treasure of Flanders I never
look iKilhing : withdraw yourselves patiently
into your houses and come again to-morrow
h tlit morning, nnd I shall make you so
good accounlj that of reason ye shall be
tonlent." Then all they answered and
'1: 'Nay, we will have account made
pntinenl ; ye shall not scape us so : we
know for truth that ye have sent great
riches into England without our knowledge :
wherefore ye shall die.' When he heard
that word, he joined his hands tceether,
and sore weeping said : ' Sirs, such as I
am ye have made me, nnd ye hove swom
to me or this to defend me against all
persons, and now ye would slay me without
reason. Ve may do it an ye will, for I
am but one man among you all. For
God's sake lake better advice, and remember
the time past, and consider the great graces
and courtesies that I have done to you : ye
would now render lo me a small reward
for the great goodness that I have done to
you and to your town in lime past. Ye
know tight well, merchandise was nigh
Icet in all this country, and by my means
it is recovered : also I have governed you
in great peace and rest, for in the lime of
my governing ye have had all things as ye
would wish, corn, riches, and all other
merchandise.' Then Ihey all cried with
one voice : ' Come down to us, and preach
not so high, and give us account of the
great treasure of Flanders that ye have
governed so long without any account
making, the which pertaineth not to an
officer lo do, as lo receive the goods of
his lord or of a country without account.'
When Jaques saw that he couid not
appease them, he drew in his head and
closed his window, and so thought to
steal out on the back »de into a church
that joined to his house r but his house
was so broken, that ibur hundred persons
were entered into his house; and finally
there he was taken and slain without mercy,
and one Thomas Denis gave him his death-
stroke. Thus Jaques d'Arleveld ended his
days, who had been a great master in
Flanders. Poor men first mounteth up
and unhappy men slayelh them at the
end.' These tidings anon spread abroad
t)ie country : some were sorry thereof and
some were glad.
In this season the carl Loub of Flanders
was at Termonde, and he was right joyous
when he heard of the death of Jaques
d'Arleveld his old enemy : howbeit yet
he durst not trust them of Flanders, nor
go to Gaunt. When the king of England,
who lay all this season at Sluys abiding
96
THE CHRONICLES OP FROISSART
the answer af Ihe Flemings, heard how
they of Gaunt had slsin Jaques d'Aiteveld
his great friend, he was sore displeased.
Incontinem he departed from Sluys and
Fleming? and the country of Flanders, and
said how his death should be well revenged.
Then the counsels of the ^xA towns of
Flanders imagined welt how the king of
England would be sore displeased with
this deed : then they determined to go and
excuse themselves, specially they of Bruges,
Vpres, Courtray, Oudenardc End of (the]
Franc. They sent into England to the
king for a aafe-conducl, that they might
come to their excuse : the king, who was
as then somewhat assuaged of his dis-
pleasure, granted their desire. Then there
came into England men of estate out of
the good towns of Flanders, except of
Gaunt. This was about the feast of Saint
Michael, and Ihe kii;g being at Westminster
beside London. There they so meekly
knew nothing thereof till it was done ; if
they had, he was the man they would have
defended to the best of their powers ; and
said how Ihey were right sony of his death,
for he had governed the country right
wisely; and also they said that though they
of Gaunt had done that deed, they should
make a sufficient amends, also saying to
the king and his council that, though he
be dead, yet the king was never the farther
off from the tove and fiivour of them of
Flanders in all things except the inherit-
ance of Flaj^ders, the which in no wise
Ihey of Flanders will put away from the
right heirs ; saying also to the king : ' Sir,
ye have fair issue, both sons and daughters.
As for the prince of Wales your eldest son,
he cannot bil but to be a great prince
without the inheritance of Flanders. Sir,
ye have a young daughter, and we have a
young lord, who is heritor of Flanders ;
we have him in our keeping : may it please
you to make a marriage between them
two, so ever after the county of Flanders
.shall Ijc in the issue of your child." These
wiJtfls and such other appeased the king,
nnil finally was content with the Flemings
and they with him; and so little
little the death of Jaques d'Atteveld
CHAPTER CXVI
In the same season the earl William of
Hainault, being at siege before the town of I
Utrecht, and there had lien a long season,
he constrained thein so sore, what by
assaults and otherwise, that finally he had
his pleasure of them. And anon after in
the same season, about the feast of Saint
Kemy, the same earl made a great assembly
of men of arms, knights end squires of
Hainault, Flanders, Brabant, Holland,
Gueldres and Juliers ; the earl and his
:ompany departed from Dordrecht iu Hol-
nault claimed to be lord there : and if the
Frisons had been men to have brought
to reason, the earl indeed had there great
tight ; but there he was slain, and a great
number of knights and squires with him.*
Sir John of Hainault arrived not there
with his nephew, for he arrived at another
place ; and when he heard of the death of
his nephew, like a man out of his mind he
would have fought with the Frisons, but
his servants, and especiaDy sir Robert of
Glennes, who as then was his squire, did
put him into his ship again agaiusl bis will.
And .so he returned again with a small com-
pany and came to Mount Sainl Gertrude'
in Holland, where the lady his niece was.
wife to the said earl, named Joan, eldest
daughter to the dnke of Brabant ; and then
she went to the land of Binche, the which
was her endowry. Thus the county of
Hainault was void a certain space, and sir
John of Hainault did govern it unlo the
tune that Margaret of Hainault, mother \o
the duke All^rt, came thither and took
possession of that heritage, aud all lords
and Other did to her fealty and homage.
This lady Margaret was marrieii to the lord
Louis of Bavier, emperor of Almaine and
king of [the] Romans.
SIEGE OF AIGUlLt.ON, IJ46
91
CHAPTEK CXVII
How sir John of Hamault became French.
Anon after, the French king entreated and
caused ihe earl of Blois lo entreat this lord
John or Hainault to becoEoe French, pro-
mising [o give him more revenues in France
ihan he had in EnglaTid, to be assigned
where he would himself devise. To this
requcsl he <Iid not lightly agree, for he had
spent all Ihe flower of his youlh in the
service of the king of England, and was
ever well beloved with Ihe king. When
ihe earl Louis of BloJs, who had married
his daughter and bad by her three sons,
Louis, John and Guy, saw that he could
Do( win him by that means, he thought
he would assay another way, as to win
Ihe lord of FagnoUe, who was chief com-
panion and greatest of counsel with the lord
John of Hainault; and so they lietwcen
them devised lo malce him believe that they
of England would not pay him his pension,
wherewilh sir John of Hainault was sore
displeased, so that he renounced his service
and good-will that he bare to the king of
England. And when the French king
knew thereof, incontinent he sent sufhcieni
messengers to him, and so retained him of
his council wilh certain wages, and reco "
pensed him in France with as much
more than he had in England.
CHAPTER CXVIII
or the great host that the duke of Normandy
brought Into Gascoyne against the earl uf
SUMMARY.— Near the aid 0/ the year
1345 the duke 0/ Normamfy gaihered a
great koil at Ttulaase, and afier Christmas
Ihe^ rode forth. They look Mtremtnt and
Villtfraiuhe, and laid sitge to AngouUme.
CHAPTER CXIX
How John Norwich scipcd from
held fiHt, asicd fer a Inne lo last
for the day of Ike PuriJicatiBH, and this
hritig graattd he and his lompany rodf
apciiiy anmy tirousk Ikt French host, and
came to Aiguillon. An^aulf»ie surren-
dered, and lie duke ef Normandy went to
Ai^nillon.
CHAPTER CXX
How the duke of Normandy laid siege I
The duke of Normandy and these lords of
France did so much that they came to the
castle of Aiguiilon. There ihey laid their
siege about the fair meadows along by the
river able lo bear ships, every lord among
his own company and every constable by
himself, as it was ordained by Ihe marshals.
This si^e endured till the feast of Saint
Remy: Ihere were well a hundred thousand
men of war, ahorseback and afool :' they
made lightly every day two or three assaults,
and most commonly from the morning till
it was near night without ceasing, for ever
there came new assaulters that would not
suffer them within to resL The lords of
France saw well they could not well come
to the fortress without they passed the
river, the which was lai^e and deep. Then
the duke commanded that a tiridge should
he made, whatsoever it cost, lo pass the
river; there were set awork more than
three hundred workmen, who did work
day and night. When the knights within
saw this bridge more than half made over
the river, they decked" three ships, and
entered into them a certain, and so came
on the workmen and chased them away
with Ibeir defenders ; and there Ihey brake
all to pieces, that had been long a-making.
When Ihe French lords saw that, Ihen they
apparelled other ships, to resist against
their shi[», and then the workmen began
again to work on the bridge, on trust of their
defenders. And when they had worked
half a day and more, sir Gaiiltier of Manny
tcvismn of itic first boot, "here ihe siege of Aiguil-
liin is called ' le riu5 liiiui iiep" qui oocqua Its
^
THE CHRONICLES OF FROI^ART
and his company entered into a. ^lip, and
came on the w<Mrkmen and made them to
lesEve work and to recnle back, and brake \
iffdxi all that they had made. This boa-
neas was nigh every day; but at last the
Frenchmen kept so well their workmen,
that the bridge was made pexibrcti and
then the k>rds and all their army passed
over in manner of battle, and they assaolted
the castle a whole day together without
ceasing, bat nothing they won; and at
nig^ they returned to their kxigin^ : and
they within amenckd all that was broken,
for they had with them workmen enoo^
The next day the Frenchmen divided
their assanlters into foar ports, the first to
begin in the morning ana to continne till
nine, the second till noon, the third to even-
song time, and the fourth till nighL After
that manner they assailed the castle six dajs
together : bowbeit they within were not so
sore travailed, bot always they defended
themselves 30 valiantly, that they witboat
woo nothing, bat only the bridge withovt
the castle. Then the Frenchmen took
other counsel: they sent to Toulouse for
eig^t great engines, and they made there
four greater, smd they made all twelve to
cast <&y and night against the castle; but
they within were so well pavised, that
never a stone of their ei^ncs did them any
hart: it brake somewhat the covering o(
some houses. They within bad also great
engines, the which brake down all the
engines without, for in a short space they
brake all to pieces six of the greatest of
them without.
I>aring this si^e oftentimes sir Walter
of Manny issued out with a hundred or six
score companions, and went on that side
the river a-foraging, and returned again
with great preys in the sight of them with-
out. On a day the lord Charles of Mont-
morency, marshal of the host, rode forth
with a five hundred with him, and when
he returned, he drave before him a great
numl>er of V^casts that he had got together
in the country to refresh the host with
victual : and by adventure he encountered
with sir Oaultier of Manny. There was
l>etwf:^;n thf-ru a great fight and many over-
thrown, hurt and slain : the Frenchmen
were five against one. Tidings thereof
came unto Aiguillon : then every man that
iffocd Ottt^ the earl of Pembroke first
of all and his company; and when he
came, he found sr Ganltier <^ ^lanny
afoot enclosed with his <'nt*mTeS) and did
marvels in arms^ Incontinent he was
rescued and remounted again, and in tiie
mean season some of the Frenchmen
diased thdr beasts qmddy into the host,
or else they had lost them, for they that
issued out of Aiguilkxi set so fkscely on
the Frenchmen^ that they put them to die
fiight and deEvered their company that
were taken and took many Fcenchmen
prisoners, and ar Chades of Mcxitmorency
had much work to scape. Then the
Englishmen returned into A^uilloiL.
Thus every day almost th«e were sndi
rencounters beside the assaults. On a day
all the wbolt host armed them, and the
duke commanded that they of Toofoose, <^
Carcassofme, of Beancaire shouki make
assault from the morning till noon, and
they of Rouergue, Cahors and Agenois from
noon tin night ; and the duke promised,
whosoever txnald win the bridge of the gate
should have in reward a hundred crowns.
Also the duke, the better to maintain this
^yaiiltj he caused to come on the river
divers diips and barges : some altered into
them to pass the river, and some went by
the bridge : at the last some of them took
a little vessel and went under the bridge,
and did cast great hooks of iron to the
drawbridge, and then drew it to them so
sore, that they Inrake the chains of iron that
held the bridge, and so palled down the
bridge perforce- Then the Frenchmen
leapt on the bridge so hastily, that one
overthrew another, for every man desired
to win the hundred crowns. They within
cast down bars of iron, pieces of timber,
pots of lime, and hot water, so that many
were overthrown from the bridge into the
water and into the dikes, and many slain
and sore hurt. Howbeit the bridge was
won perforce, but it cost more than it vras
worth, for they could not for all that win
the gate. Then they drew aback to thdr
lodgings, for it was ' late : then they within
issued out, and new made again their draw-
bridge, stronger than ever it was before.
The next ^y there came to the duke two
cunning men, masters in carpentry, and
said : ' Sir, if ye will let us have timber
and workmen, we shall make four scaffolds^
as high or higher than the walls.* The
EXPEDITION OF EDWARD ///., 1346
93
duke commanded [hat it should be ilone,
and to get carpenters in the country and
lo give them good wages : so these four
scaffolds were made in four ships, but it
was long first, and cost much ci they were
Rnished. Thea such as should assail the
castle in them were appointed and entered ;
nnd when they were passed half the rivet,
they within the cattle let go four martinets,
that they had newly made lo resist against
these scaHblds. These four martinets did
cast out so great stones, and so often fell on
the scaffolds, that in a short space they
were alt to broken, so that they that were
within them could not be pavised by them,
so that they were fain to draw back again,
and or they were again at land one of the
scaffolds drowned in the water, and the most
part of them that were within it ; the which
was great damage, for therein were good
knights, desiring their bodies to advance.
When the duke saw that he could not
come to his intent W that means, he caused
the other three scaffolds to rest. Then he
could see no way how he might get the
castle, and he had promised not to depart
thence till be had it at his will, without
the king his fiilher did send for him. Then
he sent the constable of France and the
carl of Tancarville to Paris to the king,
and there they shewed him the state of the
siege of Aiguillon. The king's mind was
that the Juke should lie there still, till he
liad won them by famine, sith he could not
have them by assault.
CHAPTER CXXI
again.
Tub king of England, who hail heard how
his men were sore constrained in the castle
of Aiguillon, then he thought to go over
the sea into Gascoyne with a great army.
There he made his provision and sent lor
men all about his realm and in other places,
where he thought to speed for his money.
In the same season the lord Godfrey of
llatcoiirt came into England, who was
of France : he was well
racdved with the king nnd retained lo be
■boot him, and had fair lands assigned him
~ " ' ' ' his degree. Then
wiicfe I re 111
In the san:
I llatcoiirt c
I banished o
I racaved wil
.E ['■boot him,
^Uifc Fngland
the king caused a great navy of ships to be
ready in the haven of Hampton, and caused
all manner of men of war to draw thither.
About the feast of Saint John Baptist the
year of our Lord God MCCCXLVI.. the king
departed from the queen and left her in the
guiding of the earl of Kent his cousin ; and
he stablished the lord Percy and the lord
Nevill 10 be wardens of his realm with (the
nrehbishop of CanterbutyJ the archbi^op
of York, the bishop of Lincoln and the
bishop of Durham ; for he never voided his
realm but that he left ever enough at home
lo keep and defend the realm, if need were.
Then the king rode lo Hampton and there
tarried for wind r then he entered into his
ship and the prince of Wales with him, and
the lord Godfrey of Harcourt, and all other
lords, earls, barons and knights, with all
their companies. They were in number a
four thousand men of arms and ten thousand
archers, beside Irishmen and Welshmen
that fallowed the host afoot.
Now I shall name you certain of the lords
that went over with king Edward in that
journey. First, Edward his eldest son,
prince of Wales, who as then was of the age
of thirteen years or thereabout,' the earls of
Hereford, Northampton, Arundel, Corn-
wall, Warwick, HunUngdon, Suffolk, and
Oxford ; and of barons the lord Mortimer,
who was after carl of March, the lords John,
Louis and Rf^er of Beauchamp, and the
lord Kaynold Cobham ; of lords the lord of
Mowbray, Ros, Lucy, Felton, Bradestan,
Multon, Delaware, Manne,' Basset, Berke-
ley, and Willoughby, with divers other
lords; and of bachelors there was John
Chandos, Fiti -Warin, Peter and James
Audley, Roger of Wetenhale, Bartholomew
of Burghersh, and Richard of Pcmbridge,
with divers other that I cannot name. Few
there were of straneers : there was the earl
Hainault,' air WuTfart of GhisteJIes, and
live or six other knights of Almaine, and
many other that I cannot name.
Thus theysailed forth that dayin the name
of God. They were well onward on their
way toward Gascoyne, but on the third day
there rose a contrary wind and drave them
■tolillbly ' 1
I .5* Jun,
94
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
on the marches of Cornwall, and there they
lay at anchor six days. In that space the
king had other counsel by the means of sir
Godfrey Harcourt : he counselled the king
not to go into Gascoyne, but rather to set
aland in Normandy, and said to the king :
* Sir, the country of Normandy is one of
the plenteous countries of the world : sir,
on jeopardy of my head, if ye will land
there, there is none that shall resist you ;
the people of Normandy have not been used
to the war, and all the knights and squires
of the country are now at the siege before
Aiguillon with the duke. And, sir, there
ye shall find great towns that be not
walled, whereby your men shall have such
winning, that they shall be the better
thereby twenty year after ; and, sir, ye may
follow with your army till ye come to Caen
in Normandy : sir, I require you to believe
me in this voyage.'
The king, who was as then but in the
flower of his youth, desiring nothing so
much as to have deeds of arms, inclined
greatly to the saying of the lord Harcourt,
whom he called cousin. Then he com-
manded the mariners to set their course to
Normandy, and he took into his ship the
token of the admiral the earl of Warwick,
and said how he would be admiral for that
viage, and so sailed on before as governour
of that navy, and they had wind at will.
Then the king arrived in the isle of Coten-
tin, at a port called Hogue Saint-Vaast.^
Tidings anon spread abroad how the
Englishmen were aland : the towns of
Cotentin sent word thereof to Paris to king
Philip. He had well heard before how the
king of England was on the sea with a
great army, but he wist not what way he
would draw, other into Normandy, Bretayne
or Gascoyne. As soon as he knew that the
king of England was aland in Normandy,
he sent his constable the earl of Guines,
and the earl of Tancarville, who were but
newly come to him from his son from the
siege at Aiguillon, to the town of Caen,
commanding them to keep that town against
the Englishmen. They said they would do
their best : they departed from Paris with
a good number of men of war, and daily
there came more to them by the way, and
so came to the town of Caen, where they
were received with great joy of men of the
I Saint- Vaast -de la Hogue.
town and of the country thereabout, that
were drawn thither for surety. These lords
took heed for the provision of the town, the
which as then was not walled. The king
thus was arrived at the port Hogue Saint-
Vaast near to Saint-Saviour the Viscount ^
the right heritage to the lord Godfrey of Har-
court, who as then was there with the king
of England.
CHAPTER CXXn
How the king of England rode in three
battles through Normandy.
When the king of England arrived in
the Hogue Saint -Vaast, the king issued
out of his ship, and the first foot that he
set on the ground, he fell so rudely, that
the blood brast out of his nose. The
knights that were about him took him up
and said : * Sir, for God's sake enter again
into your ship, and come not aland this
day, for this is but an evil sign for us.'
Then the king answered quickly and said :
* Wherefore ? This is a good token for me,
for the land desireth to have me.' Of the
which answer all his men were right joyful.
So that day and night the king lodged on
the sands, and in the meantime discharged
the ships of their horses and other baggages :
there the king made two marshals of his
host, the one the lord Godfrey of Harcourt
and the other the earl of Warwick, and the
earl of Arundel constable. And he or-
dained that the earl of Huntingdon should
keep the fleet of ships with a hundred men
of arms and four hundred archers : aftid also
he ordained three battles, one to go- on his
right hand, closing to the sea-side, and the
other on his left hand, and the king himself
in the midst, and every night to lodge all ill
one field.
Thus they set forth as they were ordained,
and they that went by the sea took all the
ships that they found in their ways : and so
long they went forth, what by sea and what
by land, that they came to a good port and
to a good town called Barfleur, the which
incontinent was won, for they within gave
up for fear of death. Howbeit, for all that,
the town was robbed, and much gold and
silver there found, and rich jewels : there
J Saint-Sauveur-lc-Vicomtc.
EDWARD III. AV NORMANDY
95
was found so much riches, thai the boys and
vill^ns of tlie host set nothing hy good
furred gowns : they made all the men of the
Iowa to isue out and lo go into the ships,
because they would not suffer them lo be
behind them for fear of rebelling again.
Af(er the [own of BarHeur was ihua taken
and robbed without brenning, then they
ipcead abroad in the country and did what
ihey list, for there wns not to resist them.
At last they came to a great and a rich
town called Cherbourg : the town they won
and robbed it, and brent part thereof, but
into the castle they could not come, it was
so strong and well furnished with men of
war. TheD they paased forth and came to
Montebourg, and took it and robbed and
bient it clean. In this manner they brent
many other towns in that country and won
so much riches, that it was marvel lo reckon
it. Then they came to a great town well
closed called Corentan, where there was
also a strong castle and many soldiers
within to keep it. Then the lords came
out of their ships and fiercely made assault :
the burgesses of the town were in great fear
of their lives, wives and children : they
suffered the Englishmen to enter iiilo the
D against the will of all the soldiers that
■e there; they put all their goods lo the
Englishmen's pleasures, they thought that
ist advantage. When the soldiers within
V that, they went into the castle : the
Knglisbmen went into the town, and two
days together they made sore assaults, so
thai when Ihey within saw no succour, they
yielded up, Ihdr lives and goods saved, and
10 departed. The Engli^unen had their
pleasure of that good town and castle, and
when Ihey saw they might not maintaiu to
keep it, they set fire therein and brent it,
arul made the burgesses of the town to
enter inlo their ships, as they had done with
them of BarHeur, Cherbourg and Monte,
bunrg, and of other towns that they had
woo on the sea-side. All this was done by
the battle that went by the sea-side, and by
ihem am the sea together. '
Now let us speak of Ihe king's liatlle.
1 1 Ifflien he had sent his first battle along by
the sca.side, as ye have heard, whereof one
of his marshals, the earl of Warwick, was
captain, and the lord Cobham wilh him,
then he made his other marshal to lead his
host on his left hand, for he knew the issues
and entries of Normandy better than any
other did there. The lord Godfi-ey as mar-
shal rode forth with five hundred men of
arms, and rode off from the kmg's battle as
siK or seven leagues, in brenning and exil-
ing the country, the which was plenlifiil of
everything — the eranges full of com,
houses full of all nches, rich burgesses, ct
and chariots, horse, swine, muttons i
other beasts : they took what them list and
brought into the king's host ; hut the sol-
diers made no count to the king nor to none
of his officers of the gold and silver that Ihey
did get ; they kept that lo themselves.
Thus sir Godfrey of Harcourt rode every
day off fi™n the king's host, and for
most part every night resorted to the king's
field. The king took his way lo Saint-Lo
in Cotentin, but or he came there he lodged
by a river, abiding for his men that rode
along by the sea-side ; and when they w
come, they set forth their carriage, and the
earl of Warwick, the earl of Suffolk, sir
Thomas Holland and sir Raynold Cobham,
and their company rode out on the one side
and wasted and exiled the country, as Ihe
lord Harcourt had done ; and the king ever
rode between these battles, ami every night
they lodged together.
CHAPTER CXXIII
Thus by the Englishmen was brent, ex-
iled, robbed, wasted and pilled Ihe good,
plentiful country of Normandy. Then ihe
French king sent for the lord John of Hai-
nautl, who came tohimwith a great number:
also Ihe king sent for other men of arms,
dukes, earls, barons, knights and squires,
and assembled together the greatest number
of people that had been seen in France a
hundred year before. He sent for men
Swni-Vairt ■
I, Edward diEembai
. Thos
ilctheHRi
cottil.
idClicrbt
96
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
they came together, wherefore the king of
England did what him list in the mean
season. The French king heard well what
he did, and sware and said how they should
never return again unfought withal, and
that such hurts and damages as they had
done should be dearly revenged ; wherefore
he had sent letters to his friends in the
Empire, to such as were farthest off, and
also to the gentle king of Bohemia and to
the lord Charles his son, who from thence-
forth was called king of Almaine ; he was
made king by the aid of his father and the
French king, and had taken on him the
arms of the Empire : the French king de-
sired them to come to him with all their
powers, to the intent to fight with the king
of England, who brent and wasted his
country. These princes and lords made
them ready with great number of men of
arms, of Almains, Bohemians and Luxem-
burgers, and so came to the French king.
Also king Philip sent to the duke of Lor-
raine, who came to serve him with three
hundred spears : also there came the earl
[of] Salm in Saumois, the earl of Sarrebruck,
the earl of Flanders, the earl William of
Namur, every man with a fair company.
Ye have heard herebefore of the order of
the Englishmen, how they went in three
battles, the marshals on the right hand and
on the left, the king and the prince of Wales
his son in the midst. They rode but small
journeys and every day took their lodgings
between noon and three of the clock, and
found the country so fruitful, that they
needed not to make no provision for their
host, but all only for wine ; and yet they
found reasonably sufficient thereof.^ It was
no marvel though they of the country were
afraid, for before that time they had never
seen men of war, nor they wist not what
war or battle meant. They fled away as
far as they might hear speaking of the Eng-
lishmen,^ and left their houses well stuffed,
and granges full of corn, they wist not how
to save and keep it. The king of England
and the prince had in their battle a three
thousand men of arms and six thousand
archers and a ten thousand men afoot, be-
side them that rode with the marshals.
1 Or rather, ' tlius ihey found reasonably suffi-
cient prcn'isions.'
- "J'hat is, they fled as soon as they heard their
ci'ining spoken of.
Thus as ye have heard, the king rode
forth,wasting andbrenning the country with-
out breaking of his order. He left the city
of Coutances^ and went to a great town called
Saint- Lo, a rich town of drapery and many
rich burgesses. In that town there were
dwelling an eight or nine score burgesses,
crafty men. When the king came there, he
took his lodging without, for he would never
lodge in the town for fear of fire : but he
sent his men before and anon the town was
taken and clean robbed. It was hard to
think the great riches that there was won,
in clothes specially ; cloth would there have
been sold good cheap, if there had been
any buyers.
Then the king went toward Caen, the
which was a greater town and full of drapery
and other merchandise, and rich burgesses,
noble ladies and damosels, and fair churches,
and specially two great and rich abbeys, one
of the Trinity, another of Saint Stephen ;
and on the one side of the town one of the
fairest castles of all Normandy, and captain
therein was Robert of Wargny, with three
hundred Genoways, and in the town was
the earl of Eu and of G nines, constable of
France, and the earl of Tancarville, with a
good number of men of war. The king of
England rode that day in good order and
lodged all his battles together that night, a
two leagues from Caen, in a town with a
little haven called Austrehem, and thither
came also all his navy of ships with the earl
of Huntingdon, who was governour of them.
The constable and other lords of France
that night watched well the town of Caen,
and in the morning armed them with all
them of the town : then the constable
ordained that none should issue out, but
keep their defences on the walls, gate,
bridge and river, and left the suburbs void,
because they were not closed ; for they
thought they should have enough to do to
defend the town, because it was not closed
but with the river. They of the town said
how they would issue out, for they were
1 That is, he did not turn aside to go to it.
Froissart says, * He did not turn aside to the city
of Coutances, but went on toward the great town
of Saint-Lo in Cotentin, which at that time was very
rich and of great merchandise and three times as
great as the city of Coutances.' Michael of North-
burgh says thaj Barfleur was about equal in import-
ance to Sandwich and Carentan to Leicester, Saint-
Lo greater than Lincoln, and Caen greater than any
city in England except London.
CAPTURE OF CAEN {July 26)
97
strong enough to fight with the king of
England. When the constable saw their
good wills, he said : ' In the name of God
be it, ye shall not fight wilhout me.' Then
they issued out in good order and made
good &ce to fight and to defend them and
to put their lives in adventure.
CHAPTER CXXIV
The same day the Englishmen rose early
and apparelled Ihcm ready to go to Caen,'
I'lie king heard mass before the sun-rising
and then took his horse, and the prince
I iiis son, with sir Gcjdtrey of Harcoiul
nmrtrl"'! and leader of the host, whose
counsel the king much followed. Then
they drew toward Caen with their battles in
good an^, and so approached the good
town, of Caen. When they of the town,
who were ready in the field, saw these three
battles coming in good order, with their
bomteis and standards waving in the wind,
and the archers, the which they had not
been accustomed to see, they were serf
afraid and fled away toward the town with-
out any order or good array, for all that the
constable could do : then the Englishmen
pursued them eagerly. When the constable
and the earl Tancarville saw that, they took
a gate at the entry and saved themselves °
and certain with them, for the Englishmen
were entered into the town. Some of the
knights and squires of France, such as knew
the way lo the castle, went thither, and the
captain there received them all, for thi
cakle was large. The Englishmen in the
chase slew many, for they tuok none tc
Then the constable and the earl of Tan
Mrvilie, being in the little tower at the
bridge foot, looked along the street and saw
thrir men slain without mercy: theydoubted
to bn in their hands. At last they saw an
Ei^lish knight with one eye calle'
>Tliuinsi6lb laly. Edoard ai
oBiwhAuguii: Philipcf Valoisle
I**: the Engtish anascd ihs Sein
i W tbi
Thomas Holland, and a (ne or six other
knights with him : they knew them, for
they had seen them before in Pruce, in
Granade, and in other viages. Then they
called to sir Thomas and said how they
luld yield themselves prisoners. Then
Thomas came thither with his company
d mounted up into the gale, and there
found the said lords with twenty- five knights
with them, who yielded them to sir Thomas,
and he took them foe his prisoners and left
company to keep them, and then mounted
again on his horse and rode into the streets,
and saved many lives of ladies, damosels,
and cloisterers (rom dcfbiling, for the
soldiers were without mercy, it fell so
well the same season for the Englishmen,
that the river, which was able to bear ships,
at that time was so low, that men went in
and out beside the bridge. They of the
town were entered into their houses, and
cast down into the street stones, timber
and iron, and slew and hurt more than five
hundred Engbshmen, wherewith the king
was sore displeased. At night when he
heard thereof, he commanded that the next
day all should be put to the sword and the
town brent ; but then sir Godfrey of Har-
court said ; ' Dear sir, for God's sake
assuage somewhat your courage, and let it
suffice yoH that ye have done. Ve have
yet a great voyage to do or ye come before
Calais, whither ye purpose to go ; and, sir,
in this town there is much people who will
defend their houses, and it will cost many
of your men their lives, or ye have ail at
your will ; whereby peradventure ye shall
not keep your purpose to Calais, the which
should redound to your rack. Sir, save
your people, for ye shall have need of them
or this month pass ; for 1 think verily your
adversary king Philip will meet with you to
light, and ye shall find many strait passages
and rencounters ; wherefore your men, an
ye had more, shall stand you in good stead :
and, sir, without any further slaying ye shall
be lord of this town ; men and women will
put all that they have to your pleasure.'
Then the king said : ' Sir Godfrey, you are
our marshal, ordain everything as ye will.'
Then sir Godfrey with his banner rode
irom street to street, and commanded in
e to be so hardy to put
slay any person, nor to
. When they of the
the king's 1
fire in any noi
violate any v
98
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
town heard that cry, they received the
Englishmen into their houses and made
them good cheer, and some opened their
coffers and bade them take what them list,
so they might be assured of their lives ;
howbeit there were done in the town many
evil deeds, murders and robberies Thus
the Englishmen were lords of the town
three days and won great riches, the which
they sent by barks and barges to Saint-
Saviour by the river of Austrehem,^ a two
leagues thence, whereas all their navy lay.
Then the king sent the earl of Huntingdon
with two hundred men of arms and four
hundred archers, with his navy and prisoners
and riches that they had got, back again
into England. And the king bought of sir
Thomas Holland the constable of France
and the earl of Tancarville, and paid for
them twenty thousand nobles.
CHAPTER CXXV
How sir Godfrey of Harcourt fought with
them of Amiens before Paris.
Thus the king of England ordered his
business, being in the town of Caen, and
sent into England his navy of ships charged
with clothes, jewels, vessels of gold and
silver, and of other riches, and of prisoners
more than sixty knights and three hundred
burgesses. Then he departed from the
town of Caen and rode in the same order
as he did before, brenning and exiling the
country, and took the way to Evreux and
so passed by it ; and from thence they rode
to a great town called Louviers : it was the
chief town of all Normandy of drapery,
riches, and full of merchandise. The
Englishmen soon entered therein, for as
then it was not closed ; it was overrun,
spoiled and robbed without mercy : there
was won great riches. Then they entered
into the country of Evreux and brent and
pilled all the country except the good towns
closed and castles, to the which the king
made none assault, because of the sparing
of his people and his artillery.
On the river of Seine near to Rouen there
1 Froissart says that they sent their booty in
barges and boats * on the river as far as Austrehem,
a two leagues from thence, where their great navy
lay.' He makes no mention of Saint-Sauveur here.
The river in question is the Orne, at the mouth of
*ii Austrehem is situated.
was the earl of Harcourt, brother to sir
Godfrey of Harcourt, but he was on the
French party, and the earl of Dreux with
him, witn a good number of men of war :
but the Englishmen left Rouen and went
to Gisors, where was a strong castle : they
brent the town and then they brent Vernon
and all the country about Rouen and Pont-
de-TArche and came to Mantes and to
Meulan, and wasted all the country about,
and passed by the strong castle of Rolle-
boise ; and in every place along the river
of Seine they found the bridges broken.
At last they came to Poissy, and found the
bridge broken, but the arches and joists lay
in the river : the king lay there a five
days : in the mean season the bridge was
made, to pass the host without peril. The
English marshals ran abroad just to Paris,
and brent Saint - Germain in Laye and
Montjoie, and Saint -Cloud, and petty
Boulogne by Paris, and the Queen's Bourg •?■
they of Paris were not well assured of them-
selves, for it was not as then closed.
Then king Philip removed to Saint-Denis,
and or he went caused all the pentices in
Paris to be pulled down ; and at Saint-
Denis were ready come the king of Bohemia,
the lord John of Hainault, the duke of
Lorraine, the earl of Flanders, the earl of
Blois, and many other great lords and
knights, ready to serve the French king.
When the people of Paris saw their king
depart, they came to him and kneeled down
and said : * Ah, sir and noble king, what
will ye do? leave thus this noble city of
Paris ? ' The king said : * My good people,
doubt ye not : the Englishmen will approach
you no nearer than they be.' '"VVTiy so,
sir ? ' quoth they ; * they be Within these two
leagues, and as soon as they know of your
departing, they will come and assail us ;
and we not able to defend them : sir, tarry
here still and help to defend your good city
of Paris. ' * Speak no more, * quoth the king,
* for I will go to Saint-Denis to my men of
war : for I will encounter the Englishmen and
fight against them, whatsoever fall thereof*
The king of England was at Poissy, and
lay in the nunnery there, and kept there
the feast of our Lady in August and sat in
his robes of scarlet furred with ermines;
and after that feast he went forth in order
as they were before. The lord Godfrey of
1 Bourg-la^Reine.
THE ENGLISH HEAR FAR/Sy 1346
99
Harcourt rode out on the one side with five
hundred men ofturasand thirteen' hundred
archers ; and by adventure he encountered
a great number of burgesses of Amiens a-
horseback, who were riding W the king's
commandment to Paris. They were
quickly assailed and they defended them-
selves Talinnlly, for they were a great numbei
and well armed : ibere were foiu' knights of
Amiens their captains. This
dured long : at the first meeting i. ,
overthrown on both parts ; but finally the
bu^esses were taken xi.riA nigh all slain, and
the Englishmen took all iheir carriages and
harness. They were well stuffed, for they
were going 10 the French king wel] ap-
jHiinted. because they had not seen him a
great season before. There were stain in
the field a twelve hundred.
Then the king of Enghind entered into
the country of Beaavoisis, brennine and exil-
ing the plain country, and lodged at a fair
ahhey and a rich called Sainl-Messien' near
Lo Beauvais : there the king tarried a night
and in the morning departed. And when
he was on his way he looked behind him
and saw the abbey a-<ire : he caused incon-
tinent twenty of them to be hai;ged that
Ml the fire there, for he had commanded
li^fof e on pain of death none to violate any
rhurch nor lo bren any abbey. Then the
ling passed by the city of Beauvais without
ny assault givii^, for because he would
t trouble his people nor waste his artil-
r). And so that day he took his lodging
■ume in a little town called Milly. The
'.io marshals came so near to Beauvais,
!hal ihey made assault and skirmish at the
tiarrier^ in three places, the which assault
tndured a long space ; but the town within
Was so well defended by the means of the
bishop, who was there within, that finally
the Englishmen dei>arted, and brent clean
hard to the gates all the suburbs, and
then at night they came into the king's
field.
The next day the king departed, bren-
tiing and wasting all before him, and al
night lodged in n good village called Grand-
villiers. The next day the king passed by
Datgies : there was none to defend the
> CaDimonly*<5fed S»inc-Luc«n, bui Saint-
castle, wherefore it was soon taken and
brent. Then they went forth destroying
the country all about, and so came to the
castle of Poix, where there was a good
town and two castles. There was nobody
in them but two fair damosels, daughters to
the lord of Poix ; they were soon taken,
and hod been violated, an two English
knights had not been, sir John Chandos
and sir Basset ; they defended them and
brought them to the king, who for his
honour made iheni good cheer and de-
manded of them whither they would
feinesl go. Thffy said, 'To Corbie," and
the king caused them to be brought thither
without peril. That n^ht the kmg lodged
in the town of Poix. They of (he town
and of the castles spake that night with
the marshals of the host, to save them and
their town from brenning, and they to pay
a certain sum of Oorins the next day as
soon Es the host was departed. This was
granted them, and in the morning the
king departed with all his host except a
certain that were left there to receive the
money that they of the town had promised
to pay. When they of the town saw the
host depart and but a few left behind, then
they said Ihey would pay never a penny,
and so ran out and set on the Englishmen,
who defended themselves as well as they
might and sent alter the host for succour.
When sir Raynold Cobham and sir Thomas
Holland, who had the rule of the rear-
guard, heard thereof, they returned and
cried, ' Treason, treason ! ' and so came
again to Poix-ward and found their com-
ranions still fighting with them of the town.
Then anon they of the town were nigh all
ilain, and the town brent, and the two
castles beaten down. Then they returned
the king's host, who was as then at
Airaines and there lodged, and had com-
manded all manner of men on pain of
death to do no hurt to no town of Arsyn,*
for there the king was minded to lie a day
or two to take advice how he might pass
the river of Somme 1 for it was necessary
for him to pass the river, as ye shall hear
The uriEbia] is '[It s
'nurfdil riei.
only called Sunt-.
100
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
CHAPTER CXXVI
How the French king followed the king of
England in Beauvoisinois.
Now let us speak of king Philip, who was
at Saint- Denis and his people about him,
and daily increased. Then on a day he
departed and rode so long that he came to
Coppegueule, a three leagues from Amiens,
and there he tarried. The king of England
being at Airaines wist not where for to pass
the river of Somme, the which was large
and deep, and all bridges were broken and
the passages well kept. Then at the king's
commandment his two marshals with a
thousand men of arms and two thousand
archers went along the river to find some
passage, and passed by Longpr^, and came
to the bridge of Remy,^ the which was well
kept with a great number of knights and
squires and men of the country. The Eng-
lishmen alighted afoot and assailed the
Frenchmen from the morning till it was
noon ; but the bridge was so well fortified
and defended, that the Englishmen de-
parted without winning of anything. Then
they went to a great town called Fountains
on the river of Somme, the which was clean
robbed and brent, for it was not closed.
Then they went to another town called
Long-en- Ponthieu ; they could not win the
bridge, it was so well kept and defended.
Then they departed and went to Picquigny,
and found the town, the bridge, and the
castle so well fortified, that it was not likely
to pass there : the French king had so well
defended the passages, to the intent that
the king of England should not pass the
river of Somme, to fight with him at his
advantage or else to famish him there.
When these two marshals had assayed in
all places to find passs^e and could find
none, they returned again to the king, and
shewed how they could find no passage in
no place. The same night the French
king came to Amiens witn more than a
hundred thousand men. The king of Eng-
land was right pensive, and the next morn-
ing heard mass before the sun-rising and
then dislodged; and every man followed
^ont-2i-Remy, corrupted here into 'bridge of
the marshals' banners, and so rode in the
country of Vimeu approaching to the good
town of Abbeville, and found a town there-
by, whereunto was come much people of
the country in trust of a little defence that
was there ; but the Englishmen anon won
it, and all they that were within slain, and
many taken of the town and of the country.
The king took his lodging in a great
hospital^ that was there. The same day
the French king departed from Amiens and
came to Airaines about noon ; and the
Englishmen were departed thence in the
morning. The Frenchmen found there
great provision that the Englishmen had
left behind them, because they departed in
haste. There they found flesh ready on
the broaches, bread and pasties in the
ovens, wine in tuns and barrels, and the
tables ready laid. There the French king
lodged and tarried for his lords.
That night the king of England was lodged
at Oisemont. At night when the two mar-
shals were returned, who had that day over-
run the country to the gates of Abbeville and
to Saint- Valery and made a great skirmish
there, then the king assembled together his
council and made to be brought before him
certain prisoners of the country of Ponthieu
and of Vimeu. The king right courteously
demanded of them, if there were any among
them that knew any passage beneath Abbe-
ville, that he and his host might pass over
the river of Somme : if he would shew him
thereof, he should be quit of his ransom,
and twenty of his company for his love.
There was a varlet called Gobin Agace
who stepped forth and said to the king:
* Sir, I promise you on the jeopardy of my
head I shall bring you to such a place,
whereas ye and all your host shall pass the
river of Somme without peril. There be
certain places in the passage that ye shall
pass twelve men afront two times between
day and night : ye shall not go in the water
to the knees. But when the flood cometh,
the river then waxeth so great, that no man
can pass ; but when fhe flood is gone, the
which is two times between day and night,
then the river is so low, that it may be
passed without danger both a -horseback
and afoot. The passage is hard in the
bottom with white stones, so that all your
carriage may go surely ; therefore the
1 That Is, a house of the knights of Saint John.
I
r
PASSAGE OF THE SOMME {Aug. 24)
caUed Blanch e-laque. An ye
make ready to depart betimes, ye may tie
there by the sun-rising.' The king said:
' If this be true Ihat ye say, I quit thee thy
ransom and all thy company, and moreover
shall give thee a hundred nobles.' Then
the king commanded every man to be really
at the sound of the trumpet lo depart.
CHAPTER CXXVll
Tub king of England slept not much that
night, for at midnight he arose and sawned
his trumpet : then incontinent they iziade
ready carriages and all things, and at the
breaking of the day they departed from the
town of Oisemont and rode after the guiding
of Gobin Agace, so that they came by the
BUn-ri^ng toBlanche-taque; but as then the
flood was up, so that they might not pass :
so tile king tarried [here till it was prime ;
then the ebb came.
The French king had his currours in the
country, who brought him word of Ihe
demeanour of the Englishmen. Then he
Ihooght lo close the king of England
between Abbeville and the river of Somme,
and so to Gght with him at his pleasure.
And when he was at Amiens he had
ordained a great baron of Normandy, called
sit Godemor du Fay, to go and keep Ihe
pass^ of Blanche -taquc, where the English-
men nmst pass or else in none other place.
He had with him a thousand men of arms
utd six thousand afoot, wilh the Genoways :
Kt th^ went by Saint- Riquier in Ponthieu
utd from thence to Crotoy, whereas the
passage lay ; and also he had with him a
great number of men of the country, and
also a great number of them of Montrenil,
■o Ihat they were a twelve thousand men
one and other.
When the English host was come thither,
nrGodemar du Fay arranged all his company
to defend Ihe passage. TheltingofEngland
lelnoE for all that; but when Ihe flood was
I' George. 1
many b man reversed. There were some of
the Frenchmen of Atlois and Picardy thai
were as glad lo joust in the water as on the
dry land.
The Frenchmen defended so well the
passage at the issuing out of the water, that
they had much to do. The Genoways did
them great trouble with their cross-bows :
on Ihe other side the archers of England
shot so wholly together, that the French-
men were fein to give place to the English-
men. There was a sore battle, and many
a noble feat of arms done on both sides.
Finally the Englishmen jiassed over and
assembled tr^ether in the field. The king
and Ihe prince passed, and all the lords ;
then the Frenchmen kept none array, but
departed, he that might best. When sir
Godemar saw that discomfiture, he fled and
saved himself: some fled to Abbeville and
some to Saint -Riquiers. They that were
there afoot could not flee, so that there were
slain a great number of them of Abbeville,
Monlreuii, Rue and of Saint -Riquiers ; the
chase endured more than a great league.
And as yet all the Englishmen were not
passed the river, and certain currours of the
tdngof Bohemia andof sir John of Haiaault
came on them that were behind and took
certain horses and carriages and slew divei^,
or they could lake the passage.
The French king Ihe same moinii^ was
departed from Airaines, trusting to have
found the Englishmen between him and
the river of Somme : but when he heard
how that sir Godemar du Fay and his
company were discomfited, he tarried in
the field and demanded of his marshals
what was best lo do. They said, ' Sir, ye
cannot pass the river but at the bridge of
Abbeville, for the flood is come in at
Blanche-laque ' ; then he returned and
lodged at Abbeville.
The king of England when he was post
the river, he thanked God and so rode forth
in like manner as he did before. Then he
called Gobin Agace and did quit him his
ransom and all his company, and gave him
a hundred nobles and a good I\prse. And
so Ihe king rode forth fair and easily, and
thought to have lodged in a great town
called Noyelles ; but when he knew that
the town pertained to the countess d'Aumale,
sister to the lord Robert of Artois,' the
1 She was in fact his daughlcr.
TBE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
king assured the town and coontij as much
as pertained to her, and so went forth ; and
his marshals rode to Crotoy cxi the sea-ade
and brent the town, and found in the ha:Ten
m!niy ships and barks chained with wines
of Poitou, pertaining to the merchants of
Saintonge and of Rodielle : thej broogfat
the best thereof to the king's host. Tben
one of the marshals rode to the gates of
Abbeville and from thence to Saint- Riqmasy
and after to the town of Rae-Saint-Esprit. '■
This was on a Friday, and both battles of
the marshals returned to the king's host
about noon and so lodged all together near
to Crcssy in Ponthietu '
The king of England was well informed
how the French king followed after him to
^hL Then he said to his company ; ' Let
OS take here some plot of grocm<C for we
win go no fiother till we have seen oar
enemiesw I have good cause here to abide
them, for I am on the right heritage of the
quern my mother, the which land was given
at ha marriage : I will challenge it of mine
adversary Philip of Valois.* And because ;
that he had not the eighth port in numbo^ <^
men as the French I^ig had, therefore he
commanded his marshals to chose a plot of
grmmd somewhat for his advantage : and so
they did, and thither the king and his host
wenL Then he sent his currours to
Abbeville, to see if the French king drew
that (iay into the field or not. They went
forth and returned again, and said how they
could see none appearance of his coming :
then every man took their lodging for that
'iav^ and to be ready in the morning at the
sound of the trumpet in the same place.
This Friday the French king tarried still in
Abbeville abiding for his company, and sent
his two marshals to ride out to see the
dealing of the Englishmen, and at night
they returned, and said how the English-
men were lodged in the fields. That night
the French king made a supper to all the
chief lorr^s that were there with him, and
after supper the king <iesired them to be
fhtinris eai:h to other. The king looked for
the ear: :f .Savoy. wh<:) should come to him
with a thousand spear^. for he had received
waives f<:r a three montiis of them at Troves
m. Champai^e.
CHAPTER CXXVin
Of the order of the Englishmen at Cressy ,
and bow they made dtree botdes
Ox the Friday, as I said before, the king of
England lay in the fiekis^ for the amulij
was plentiM of wines and other victoal,
and if need had been, they had provisioo
following in carts and other carriages.
That night the king made a supper to all
his chief lords c^ his host and made them
good cheer : and when they were all de^
parted to take their rest, then the king
entered into his oratory aotd kneeled down
before the altar, praying God devoatty, that
if he fen^ht the next day, that be might
achieve the joomey to bos hooonr : then
about midn^ht he laid him down to rest,
and in the morning he rose betimes and
heard mass, and the prince his son with
him, and the most part of his company were
confessed and housdled ; and after the mass
said, he commanded every man to be anned
and to draw to the field to the same place
before appointed. Then the king caused a
park to be made by the wood side behind
his host, and there was set all carts and
carriages, and within the park were all their
horses, for every man was afoot ; and into
this park there was bat cHse entry. Then
he cwdained three battles : in the first was
the young prince of Wales, with him the
earl of Warwick and Oxford, the kird
Godfirey of Harcourt, ar Raynold Cobham,
sir Thomas Holland, the lord Stafford, the
lord of Mohun^ the lord Delaware, ar John
Chandos, sir Bartholomew de Borghersliy
ar Robert Nevill, the lord Thomas CIi£R]rd»
the lord Bourchier, the lord de Latimer, and
divers other knights and squires that I can>
not name : they were an eight hundred men
of arms and two thousand archersy and a
thousand of other with the Welshmen:
every lord drew to the field appointed
under his own banner and pennon. In the
second battle was the eari of NorthamptoOy
the earl of Arundel, the lord Ros, the laid
Lucy, the lord Willoughby, the lord BosKt,
the lord of Saint-Aubin, ar Louis Taftoo*
the lord of Multon, the lord LasceUes and
divers other, about an e%ht hundred
of arms and twelve htmdred ardiers^
third battle had the king : he had
ATTrE OF CR&CY (Aug. 26)
103
Ihandred inea of arms [ind two thousand
irchers. Then ihe king leapt on a hobby,
with a white rod in his hand, one of his
marshals on the one hand a.iid the other
Ihe othet hand : he rode ham rank to ra
desiring every man to take heed that day
to his right and honour. He Epike it ao
sweetly auid with so good countenanci
merry cheer, that all such as were
comfited took courage in the seeing and
hearing of him. And when he had thus
visited all his battles, it was then ni
Ihe day : then he caused every man t
and drink a little, and so they did at their
leisure. And afterward they ordered again
their battles: then every man lay down
the earth and by him his salet and bow,
, be the more fresher when their enem
ihou]d come.
CHAPTER CXXIX
This Satnrday the Frencli king rose be-
times and heard mass in Abbeville in his
kideing in the abbey of Saint Peter, and
he Sepaited afler the sun-rising. When he
was out of the town two leagues, approach-
il^ toward his enemies, some of his lords
■aid to him : ' Sir, it were good that ye
ord«ed your battles, and let all your foot-
tnoi pass somewhat on before, tlmt they be
not troubled with the horsemen.' Then
the king sent four knights, the Moine [of]
Bazdlles, the lord of Noyers, the lord of
Bcaujeu and the lord d'Anbigny to ride to
aview the English host ; and so they rode
BO near that they might well see part of
their dealing. The Englishmen saw them
well «nd knew well how they were come
Uiitber to aview them : they let them alone
and made no countenance toward them,
and let them return as they came. And
when the French king saw these four
knights return again, he tarried till they
came lo him and said : ' Sirs, what tidings?'
These four knighls each of them looked on
other, for there was none would speak
before his companion ; finally the king
said (o [the] Moine, who pertained to the
L
' Un pEiii palerroi.
king of Bohemia and had done in his days
so much, that he was reputed for one of
the valiantest knighls of the world : ' Sir,
speak you.' Then he said : 'Sir, I shall
speak, sith it pleaseth you, Under the
correction of my fellows. Sir, we have
ridden and seen the behaving of your
enemies : know ye for truth they are rested
in three battles abiding for you. Sir, I
will counsel you as for my part, saving
your displeasure, that you and all your
company rest here and lodge for this night :
for or they that be behind of ymir company
be come hither, and or your battles be set
in good order, it will be very late, and
your people be weary and out of array,
and ye shall find your enemies fresh and
ready lo receive you. Early in the morning
ye may order your battles at mote leisure
and advise your enemies at more delibem>
tion, and to rtgard well what way ye will
assail them ; for, sir, surely they will abide
Then the king commanded that it should
be so done. Then his two marshals one
rode before, another behind, saying to
every banner : ' Tarry and abide here in
the name of God and Saint Denis.' They
that were foremost tarried, but they that
were behind would not tarty, but rode
forth, and said how they Would in no wise
abide till they were as far forward as the
foremost : and when they before saw them
' on behind, then they rode forward
again, so that the king nor his marshals
ould not rule them. So they rode without
irder or good array, till they came in sight
if their enemies : and as soon as the fore-
oost saw them, they reculed then aback
vithoul good array, wJiereof they behind
had marvel and were abashed, and thought
th^t the foremost company had been fight-
mg. Then they might have had leisure
and room lo have gone forward, if they
had list : some went forth and some abode
still. The commons, of whom all the ways
sen Abbeville and Cressy were ftill,
when they saw that they were near to their
nemies, they took their swords and cried :
Down with them I let us slay them all.'
ITiere is no man, though he were present
t the journey, that could imagine or shew
the truth of the evil order that was among
the French party, and yet they were a
marvellous great number. That I write
Z'aL
THE CHJ:ZSICLES C- FJiCJSSAJ^T
nif:r. z. JZitr-a
rx :re
lit Eqgijshse^'i bKk&. Wr
-.1 ircr
and on
dkeGcno-
I kapiand
C^iAFTEr. CXXX
*.v? -.
.r^'ssT r^rs-KT- ri* cr^r rt
1^ « -^^F^
rvit -prx- thrtrir >*;£: iiir
irj ba.«r* 2,-.-: imsjgtd
fjiT. ■■hiir. ■■as th»t prj^:*'* ":a:tl*. ti^e
arj-: the zzat. 'X zr=LS iz ih.^ li'.r.c: :■: 'St/t
«tri of Arrrj-:*! whi "^ic ifx:.-^A rjozrl-t
WW* cr. i ""^'^ L' ^'•'r: -.v'i^. resifT :i
cfj^Sf/r. 'j-jt ;:ri.'j.:*'i banl*, if r.^ei wtre.
The 1-xd* ^IA kEighj cc Frazce ci=.e
not to :ie zisenirjij t-jgi-ih-sr in gcoi crier.
f vr ircj* ci=** btforc ar,< i.'jcje ca=:* aiier
in IK IT. rjLsttr ar--: tril ir-icr, :ha: coe c-f
thcrr. -ij-f trocr.!* a-ovcbsT. When uie
Fr*rr,'i k;-.^ ^iw the Ez^jliahmez- Lis ri-»i
char-^^'. av: sai': to his =:-arsLaL? : * Make
the f f*r.',iKij\ ^o cr. before ar.i be^n tte
fATtie ir. tbe r-a.T*e of G'y: ar.'i ^aint Deris."
There ir^re of the Genowavs crc'ss-bows
aV>Et a f.^.eer, tho:i.«n<.* bn: they were s-o
weary of ^osr-^g af'x;: that 'iaj a sii leagues
anr*er: "•"ith tr.eir cros*-bow5, that they said
•o their cor.v:ir,!« : * We be r.ot well
'^yr'iertd to fi^t tliii day, for we be not in
the ca*e to C.'> zr.y great deed of arms : we
fiave more need of rest-* These words
oame to the carl of Aleccor*, who said:
* A mar. is well at ca.?e to be charged with
«. :ch a v.rt of r2.sca'.5. to Ixe faint and £di
r.o-A- at rr.ost nee i-' A'-o the same season
•h'rre f^Il a great rain ani a cl:;.:5e* with a
terri'ie th-n'ier, ar.'i r^fore the rain there
o;4rr.e r;.-;r.~ over ry/.h battles a great number
r: ',T'.v. i r'^r f.=:ar of the tempest coming.
Tr.er. ^.r.on tho- a!r begin to wax clear, and
V'.e v:r- to sloine fiir and bright, the which
' 'iV.'^r.i, a v*ry zoxl acshority on the subject,
uvft ^xjc, brcczh: from the ships at Hazficur.
z A mttrarwfatioa of ' one cxiistre,' *a fla5h of
e Eagfjtf.fga. bat they
>t:i:if siZ an>£ sdrref arc iar all that : then
tbe i.'ren»7«TTs ^rxin tbe tecnry? txne made
izizfhs Var a=»i a JeC err. axad stept fbr-
T2rd a lirije. ami the Fng:"rtf' ueu remGrred
n-tt coe 3:«:c : th3r£y. J^ain diey ieapt and
rrSfif. xDf went iienh till tbey canae within
ibf-x z tbes tbsy sbcc SercaJy widi their
mes-Srws. Thez tbe Fngash aichers
scecc j':ri cce race asi iec rr triexr arrows
» * «
5.: wbzrCIy 'trgecber] ar>f so rri-k. that it
ae.£=jci SGiw. Wbcc tbe Geaowavs fdt
the arrcw» p6er.-i~.g throogzi bea*is» arms
an«i rreascs. — -.iry cc tbesa cast down
th-eir cr uss-'^cws ar^f dxi crt their strings
an-i ret"::rr.e»i iisconnted. When the
French V'-g saw tbetn rr away, he said :
* Slay th-ese rascals. {c€ they saall let and
trzcrCe ns witbrct reaaoc' Then yc
sb-:eli hiTt se«n the men of arms dash
in amoqg thr-m anid killeti a great nnmber
of them : asc ever still the ElngUshmen
>ey saw thickest press; the
-ows ran into the men of arms and
into their hc«es, and manv felL hone and
men. am-rqg the Genoways, and when they
were drwn. they cocld not relieve* again,
the press was so thick that one orerthrew
anicher. An-i also among the Englishmen
there were certain rascals that went afoot
with great knives, and they went in am
the men of arms, and slew and mnrd<
many as they lay on the ground, both earls,
barons, knights and squires, whereof the
king of England was after displeased, for
he hud rather they had been taken prisoners.
The valiant king of Bohemia called
Charles cz Luxemboarg, son to the noUe
emperor Henry of Luxemboerg, for all
that he was nigh blind, when he understood
the order of the battle, he said to them
aboct him : * Where is the lord Charles
1 These * leaps * of the Genoese arc inrented by
the translarsr. aad have passed ficm him into several
respecrabCe Er:;Iish text-books, sometimes in 00m-
panr vich the eclipse above mentioEied. Froissast
says : * II cocnicepcfeent k jnpcr moalt epomraat-
ableoent ' ; thai is. * to utter cries.' Azxiiber text
makes mentiin of the English cannons at this
point : * The EngUsh remained still and kc off <
' rawtnns that tb^ had, to frighten the Genoe
• The translator's word *relicre' (relymie)
. sents * relever/ for * se rekver.'
BATTI-E of Ch'ltCY
105
Try50n?' H L^; men said : ' Sir, we cannot
U'll : we think he be fighting.' Then he
said : ' Sirs, ye ate my men, my com-
panions and friends in this journey ; I
require you bring me so far forwariJ, that
I may strike one stroke with my sword.'
They said they would do his commandment,
and to the intent that they should not lose
liim in the press, Ihey tied all their reinB
of their bridles each to other and set the
ling before to accomplish his desire, and
-0 [hey went on Ihdr enemies. The lord
Charles of Bohemia his son, who wrote
himself king of Almaine and bare the arms,
he came in good order to the battle ; but
when he saw that the matter went awry on
their party, he depiarted, I cannot tell you
which way. The king liis father was so
far forward that he stroke a stroke with his
swoid, yea and more than four, and fought
valiantly ajid so did his company ; and
they adventured themselves so forward,
lliat they were there all slain, and the next
(by they were found in the place about
ihe king, and all their horses tied each
The earl of Alen^on came to the battle
right ordioalely and fought with the Eng-
lihlimen, and the earl of Flanders also on his
I'lrl. These two lords with their companies
I'l.istcd the English archers and came to the
imncc's liattle, and there fought vahantly
ling. The French king would lain have
Clime thither, when he sa.w their banners,
l>iit there was a great hedge of archers
tiefore him. The same day the French
king had given a great black courser to sir
John of flainault, and he made the lord
Thierry of Senzeille to ride on him and to
bear his banner. The same horse took the
litidle io the teeth and brought him through
all the cuirouis of the Englishmen, and
he would have returned again, he fell ir
great dike and was sore hurt, and had
l*en there dead, an his page had not been,
who followed hitn through all the battles
and saw where his master lay in the dike,
ukI had none other let but for his h
for the Englishmen would not issue
of their battle for taking of any prisoner.
Then the page alighted and relieved his
master; then he went not back again tht
e way thai they came, there was to(
this Saturday was right cruel and fell, and
many a feat of arms done that came not
to my knowledge. In the night' divers
knights and squires lost their masters, and
sometime came on the Englishmen, who
received them in such wise that they were
nigh slain ; for there was none taken
;rcy not to ransom, for so the English-
^SJ"!
ui battle between Broye and Ctessy
■e detern
ned.
ig° the day of the battle
in Frenchmen and Almains perforce
opened the archers of the prince's battle
- - ' and fought with the men of
to hand. Iben the second
battle of the Englishmen came to succour
the prince's battle, the which was time, for
they had as then much ado; and they with
the prince sent a messenger to the king,
who was on a little windmill hill. Then
the knight said to the king : ' Sir, the earl
of Warwick and the earl of Oxford, sir
Raynold Cobhain and other, such as be
about the prince your son, are fiercely
fought withal and are sore handled ; where-
fore they deare you that you and your
battle will come and aid them ; for if the
Frenchmen increase, as they doubt they
will, your son and they shall have much
ado.' Then the king said: 'Is my son
dead or hurt or on the earth felled?' 'Mo,
sir,' quoth the knight, ' but he is hardly
matched ; wherefore he hath need of your
aid.' 'Well,' said the king, "return to
him and to them that sent you hither, and
say to thero that they send no more to me
for any adventure that ^leth, as long as
my son is ahvei and also say to Ihem that
they BufTei him this day to win his spurs;'
for if God be pleased, I will this journey
be his and the honour thereof, and to them
that be about him.' Then the knight re-
turned again to them and shewed the
king's words, the which greatly encouraged
them, and tepoincd* in thai they had sent
to the king as they did.
Sir Godfrey of Hatcourt would gladly
that the earl of Ilarcomt his brother might
1 ■Su9lenait,"tDwa[d) nlBhtbll,'
■i The It.t has suR-crcd by oraisaons. What
Froi^sarL says U that If the baLIl4 had begun in the
raoinillg, ii mighl bnvt gone bolttt for Oie French,
and thtn he fnsl^ncu the eKploiu of Iboe who
brake Ihniugh the archers. Tbe battle did not
S '(jueiiUissenl^l'tnfMtgaegnierKsesperont.'
to6
THE CHRONICLES OF FROTSSART
have been saved; for he heard say by
them that saw his banner how that he was
there in the field on the French party: but
sir Godfrey could not come to him be-
times, for he was slain or he could come
at him, and so was also the earl of Aumale
his nephew. In another place the earl of
Alen9on and the earl of Flanders fought
valiantly, every lord under his own banner ;
but finally they could not resist against the
puissance of the Englishmen, and so there
they were also slam, and divers other
knights and squires. Also the earl Louis of
Blois, nephew to the French king, and the
duke of Lorraine fought under their
banners, but at last they were closed in
among a company of Englishmen and
Welshmen, and there were slain for all
their prowess. Also there was slain the
earl of Auxerre, the earl of Saint-Pol and
many other.
In the evening the French king, who
had left about him no more than a three-
score persons, one and other, whereof sir
John of Hainault was one, who had re-
mounted once the king, for his horse was
slain with an arrow, then he said to the
king : * Sir, depart hence, for it is time ;
lose not yourself wilfully : if ye have loss at
this time, ye shall recover if again another
season.' And so he took the king's horse
by the bridle and led him away in a
manner perforce. Then the king rode till
he came to the castle of Broye. The gate
was closed, because it was by that time
dark : then the king called the captain,
who came to the walls and said : * Who
is that calleth there this time of night ? '
Then the king said : * Open your gate
quickly, for this is the fortune of France.'^
The captain knew then it was the king,
and opened the gate and let down the
bridge. Then the king entered, and he
had with him but five barons, sir John of
Hainault, sir Charles of Montmorency, the
lord of Beaujeu, the lord d'Aubigny and
the lord of Montsault. The king would not
tarry there, but drank and departed thence
about midnight, and so rode by such guides
as knew the country till he came in the
morning to Amiens, and there he rested.
This Saturday the Englishmen never de-
Darted firom their battles for chasing of any
■*■- la fortune de France ' : but the better
! 'c'est li infortun^s rois de France.*
man, but kept still their field, and ever
defended themselves against all such as
came to assail them. This battle ended
about evensong time.
CHAPTER CXXXI
How the next day after the battle the English-
men discomifited divers Frenchmen.
On this Saturday, when the night was
come and that the Englishmen heard no
more noise of the Frenchmen, then they
reputed themselves to have the victory,
and the Frenchmen to be discomfited,
slain and fled away. Then they made
great fires and lighted up torches and
candles, because it was very dark. Then
the king avaled down firom the little hill
whereas he stood ; and of all that day till
then his helm came never on his head.
Then he went with all his battle to his son
the prince and embraced him in his arms
and kissed him, and said : * Fair son, God
give you good perseverance ; ye are my
good son, thus ye have acquitted you
nobly: ye are worthy to keep a realm.'
The prince inclined himself to the earth,
honouring the king his father.
This night they thanked God for their
good adventure and made no boast thereof,
for the king would that no man should
be proud or make boast, but every man
humbly to thank God. On the Sunday in
the morning there was such a mist, that a
man might not see the breadth of an acre
of land from him. Then there departed
from the host by the oommandment of the
king and marshals five hundred spears and
two thousand archers, to see if they might
see any Frenchmen gathered again to-
gether in any place. The same morning
out of Abbeville and Saint -Riquiers in
Ponthieu the commons of Rouen and of
Beauvais issued out of their towns, not
knowing of the discomfiture the day before.
They met with the Englishmen weenii^
they had been Frenchmen, and when the
Englishmen saw them, they set on them
freshly, and there was a sore battle ; but at
last the Frenchmen fled and kept none
array. There were slain in the ways and
in hedges and bushes more than seven
thousand, and if. the day had been clear
SIEGE OF CALAIS, 1346 {Sept, 3)
107
there had never a one scaped. Anon after,
another company of Frenchmen were met
by the Englishmen, the archbishop of
Rouen and the great prior of France, who
also knew nothing of the discomfiture the
day before ; for they heard that the French
king should have fought the same Sunday,
and they were going thitherward. When
they met with the Englishmen, there was
a great battle, for they were a great
number, but they could not endure against
the Englishmen ; for they were ni^ all
slain, few scaped ; the two lords were slain.
This morning the Englishmen met with
divers Frenchmen that had lost their way
on the Saturday and had lain all night
in the fields, and wist not where the king
was nor the captains. They were all
slain, as many as were met with ; and it
was shewed me that of the commons and
men afoot of the cities and good towns of
France there was slain four times as many
as were slain the Saturday in the great
battle.
CHAPTER CXXXII
How the next day after the battle of Cressy
they that were dead were numbered by the
Englishmen.
The same Sunday, as the king of England
came from mass, such as had been sent forth
returned and shewed the king what they
had seen and done, and said : * Sir, we
think surely there is now no more appear-
ance of any of our enemies.* Then
the king sent to search how many were
slain and what they were. Sir Raynold
Cobham and sir Richard Stafford with three
heralds went to search the field and country :
they visited all them that were slain and
rode all day in the fields, and returned
again to the host as the king was going to
supper. They made just report of that
they had seen, and said how there were
eleven great princes dead, fourscore ban-
ners, twelve nundred knie;hts, and more
than thirty thousand other.^ The English-
' Another text makes the loss of persons below the
rank of knight 15,000 or z6,ooo, including the men
of the towns. Both estimates must be greatly ex-
aggerated. Michael of Northburgh says that 1542
were killed in the battle and about 2000 on the next
men kept still their field all that night : on
the Monday in the morning the king pre-
pared to depart : the king caused the dead
bodies of the great lords to be taken up and
conveyed to Montreuil, and there buned in
holy ground, and made a cry in the country
to grant truce for three days, to the intent
that they of the country might search the
field of Cressy to bury the dead bodies.
Then the lung went forth and came before
the town of Montreuil-by-tbe-sea, and his
marshals ran toward Hesdin and brent
Waben and Serain, but they did nothing to
the castle, it was so strong and so well kept.
They lodged that night on the river of
Hesdin towards Blangy. The next day
they rode toward Boulogne and came to the
town of Wissant : there the king and the
prince lodged, and tarried there a day to
refresh his men, and on the Wednesday the
king came before the strong town of Calais.
CHAPTER CXXXni
How the king of England laid siege to Calais,
and how all the poor people were put out
of the town.
In the town of Calais there was captain a
knight of Burgoyne called sir John de
Vienne, and with him was sir Arnold
d'Audrehem, sir John de Surie, sir Baldwin
de Bellebrune, sir Geoffrey de la Motte, sir
Pepin de Wierre and divers other knights
and squires. When the king of England
was come before Calais, he laid his siege
and ordained bastides between the town and
the river : he made carpenters to make
houses and lodgings of great timber, and set
the houses like streets and covered them
with reed and broom, so that it was like a
little town ; and there was everything to
sell, and a market-place to be kept every
Tuesday and Saturday for flesh and fish,
mercery ware, houses for cloth, for bread,
wine and all other things necessary, such
as came out of England or out of Flanders ;
there they might buy what they list. The
Englishmen ran oftentimes into the country
day. The great princes killed were the king of
Bohemia, the duke of Lorraine, the earls of Alencon,
Flanders, Blois, Auxerre, Harcourt, Saint-Fol,
Aumale, the grand prior of France and the arch-
bishop of Rouen.
lo8
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
of Gaines, and into Temois, and to the
gates of Saint - Omer's, and sometime to
Boulogne ; they brought into their host
great preys. The king would not assail the
town of Calais, for he thought it but a lost
labour : he spared his people and his artil-
lery, and said how he would famish them in
the town with long siege, without the French
king come and raise his siege perforce.
When the captain of Calais saw the man-
ner and the order of the Englishmen, then
he constrained all poor and mean people to
issue out of the town, and on a Wednesday
there issued out of men, women and chil-
dren more than seventeen hundred ; and as
they passed through the host, they were de-
manded why they departed, and they an-
swered and said, because they had nothing
to live on : then the king did them that
grace that he suffered them to pass through
his host without danger, and gave them
meat and drink to dinner, and every person
two pence sterling in alms, for the which
divers many of them prayed for the king's
prosperity.
CHAPTER CXXXIV
How the duke of Normandy brake up his
siege before Aiguillon.
SUMMARY, — The French king sent
for the duke of Normandy to return and
defend France, so the French departed from
thcU siege. As they departed, those within
made a sally and took several prisoners,
from whom sir Walter Manny heard of the
king of EnglancTs campaign in France,
The king of France was displeased with
sir Godemar du Fay, because he had not well
kept the passage of Blanche-taque, and he
would have lost his life, but sir John of
Hainault excused him.
CHAPTER CXXXV
How sir Gaultier of Manny rode through all
France by safe-conduct to Calais.
Tt t^as not long after, but that sir Gaultier
"^ny fell in communication with a
Normandy, who was his prisoner,
ided of him what money he would
pay for his ransom. The knight answered
and said he would gladly pay three thousand
crowns. * Well,* quoth the lord Gaultier,
*I know well ye be kin to the duke of
Normandy and well beloved with him, [so]
that I am sure, an if I would sore oppress
you, I am sure ye would gladly pay ten
thousand crowns ; but I shall deal otherwise
with you. I will trust you on your faith
and promise : ye shall go to the duke
your lord, and by your means get a safe-
conduct for me and twenty other of my
company to ride through France to Calais,
paying courteously for all our expenses.
And if ye can get this of the duke or of the
king, I shall clearly quit you your ransom
with much thank, for I greatly desire to see
the king my master ; nor I will lie but one
night in a place till I come there. And if
ye cannot do this, return again hither within
a month, and yield yourself still as my
prisoner.* The knight was content and so
went to Paris to the duke his lord, and he
obtained this passport for sir Gaultier of
Manny and twenty horse with him all only.
This knight returned to Aiguillon and
brought it to sir Gaultier, and there he
quitted the knight Norman of his ransom.
Then anon after, sir Gaultier took his way
and twenty horse with him, and so rode
through Auvergne; and when he tarried in
any place, he shewed his letter and so was
let pass : but when he came to Orleans, for
all his letter he was arrested and brought
to Paris and there put in prison in the
Chatelet.
When the duke of Normandy knew
thereof, he went to the king his father and
shewed him how sir Gaultier of Manny had
his safe-conduct, wherefore he required the
king as much as he might to deliver him,
or else it should be said how he had be-
trayed him. The king answered and
said how he should be put to death, for he
reputed him for his great enemy. Then
said the duke : * Sir, if ye do so, surely I
shall never bear armour against the king of
England, nor all such as I may let.' And
at his departing he said that he would never
enter again into the king's host. Thus the
matter stood a certain time.
There was a knight of Hainault called
sir Mansart d'Esne : he purchased all that
he might to help sir Walter of Manny, and
went often in and out to the duke of Nor-
INVASION OF ENGLAND BY THE SCOTS
Is paid ; and the king sent for him
his lodging of Nesle in Paris, and there he
dined with the king, and the king presenled
him great gifts and jewels to the value of a
thousand florins. Sir Gaultier of Manny
teceived thero on a condition, that when he
came to Calais, that if the king of England
\ns, master were pleased thai he Ehduld take
them, then he was content to keep them,
01 else to send them again to the French
king, who said he spake like a noble man.
Tben he took his leave and departed, " ~ '
rode so long hy his journeys that he c
into Hainault, and tarried at Valencie;
three days ; and so from thence he wei
Calais and was welcome to the king. But
when the king heard thai sir Gaullier of
Manny had received gifts of the French
king, he said to him : ' Sir Gaultier, ye
have hitherto truly served ns, and shall do,
iis we trust. Send again to king Philip the
gifts that he gave you ; ye have no
to keep them- We thank God we
enough for us and for you : we he ir
purpose to do much good for you according
ilo the good service that ye have done.
Tben sii Ganltiei took all those Jewels and
delivered them to a cousin of his called
Manssrt,-' and said : ' Ride into France to
Ihe king there and recommend me unto him,
md say how I thank him a thousand times
for the gift that he gave me ; hut shew him
bow it is not Ihe pleasiu'e of the king my
master that I should keep them ; therefore
I send them again to him.' This knight
lode to Paris and shewed aU this to the
king, who would not receive again the
jewels, but did give them to the same
kn^ht sir Mnn.iart, who thanked the king
tt was not in vrill to say nay.
CHAPTER CXXXVI
IT the earl of Derby the
in Pintou divers (owns
city of Poitiers.
CHAPTER CXXXVII
It is long now sith we spake of king David
of Scotland ; howbeil till now there was
none occasion why, for the truce that was
taken was well and truly kept : so that
when the king of England had liesieged
Calais and lay there, then the Scots deler-
mmed to make war into England and to he
revenged of such hurts as they had taken
before. For they said then how that the
realm of England was void of men of war ;
for they were, as they said, with the king of
England before Calais, and some in Btelayne,
Poitou and Gascoyne. The French king
did what he could to stir Ihe Scots to that
war, to the intent that Ihe king of England
should break up his siege and return to
defend Ills own realm.
The king of Scots made his summons to
be at Sainl-John's town on the river of Tsy
in Scotland ; thither came earls, barons
and prelates of Scotland, and there agreed
that m all hssle possible they shoidd enter
into England. To come in that journey
was desired John of the out Isles, who
governed Ihe wild Scots, for to him they
obeyed and to no man else. Me came with
a three thousand of the most ontrageoust
in all the country. When dl the
ere assembled, theywere of one and
fifty thousand fighting men. They
could not make their assembly so secret
but that Ihe queen of England, who was as
then in the marches of the North about
York, knew all their dealing. Tben she
sent all about for men and lay herself at
York : then all men of war and archers
came to Newcastle with the queen. In the
mean season the king of Scots departed
from Saint-John's town and went to Dun-
fermline the first day. The next day they
passed a little arm of the sea and so came
to Stirling, and then to Edinburgh. Then
they numbered their company, and they
were a three thousand men of arms, knighls
and squires, and a thirty thousand of other
on hackneys. Tben they came to Roxburgh,
Ihe first fortress English on that part :
captain there was sir William Montague.
The Scots passed by without a~" ""
THB CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
■nakiog, Mid lo went forth brainiiig and
datroTuig ibe coantiy of Northumberland ;
mnd their carrriurs ran to Vork and bient is
much as wan without the walls, and [etam«l
again to their host within a day's journey of
Scwc»3lle - opon-Tyne.
CHAPTER CXXXVIII
Of Ih(r battle of Newcastle - upon - Tyne
between the queen of Englaiid and the
TiiR (juecn of England, who desired to
fiefend hei country, came to Newcastle-
upon-Tyne and iheie tarried for her
nt Newcastle, Ihey drew thitherward and
their cnrruuri came running before the
town ; and at their returning they brent
certain small hamlets ihercabinit, so that
the smoke thereof came into the town of
NEwcislle. Some of the Englishmen would
a issued out to have fought with them that
mafle the fires, but the captains noald not
luffer them to issue out.
The neitt day (he king of Scots with a
forly thousand men one and other came
an'l lodged within three little English mile
of Newcastle in the land of the lord Ncvill ;
■nd the king sent to them wiihtn the town,
thai if they would issue out into the field,
he would fight with them gladly. The
Innls and prelates of England said they were
content to advcnlure their lives with the
right and heritage of the king of England
their master. Then they all issued out of
the town, and were in numlier a twelve
hundred men of arms, three thousand
ftrchers. and seven thousand of other with
the Welshmen. Then the Scots came and
lodged agoinst them near together ; then
every man was set in order of battle : then
the ijucen came atnime her men ' and there
was ordaini^rl four hnlllcs, one to aid
another. The lirsl had in governance the
biHliop i)f Durham and the lord Percy ; the
iK!c'ind the archliishop of York and the lord
Novill : the Ihirrl ihc bishop of Lincoln
and the lonl Mnwbmy i the fourth the
lord Edward ilo linlliul, captain ofBerwitk,
1 The I
■Imi
Lt Ncvi
c Contin
the arcbbbbop of Cantaboiy and the lori
Ros ; every battle had like namber afta
their qnantily. The qoeen went &01D
battle to battle desiring them to do their
devoir to defend the honour of her lord the
king of England, and in the name of God
every man to be of good heart and coorage,
promising ihem thai to her power she would
rememba them as well 01 better as though
her lord the king were there personally.
Then the queen departed from them, recom-
mending them to God and lo Saint George.
Then anon after, the bottles of the Scots
b^an to set forward, and in like wise so did
Ibe Englishmen. Then the archers began
to shoot on both parties, but the shot of the
Scots endured but a short space, but the
archers of England shot so fiercely, so that
when the battles approached, there was a
hard battle. They began at nine and
endured till noon : the Scots had great
axes sharp and hard, and gave with them
many great strokes. Howbeit finally the
Englishmen obtained the place and victory,
but they tost' many of their men. There
were slain of the Scots the earl of Fife, the
earl of Buchao, the earl Patrick, the oA
of Sutherland, the earl of Stralhem, the
cart of Mar, the earl John Douglas, and
the lord Alexander Kamsay, who bare the
kiog's banner, and divers other knights and
squires. And there the king was taken,
who fought valiantly and was sore hurt.
A squire of Northumberland took him,
called John Copeland ; and as soon as he
had taken the king, he went with him out
of the field with eight of his servants with
him, and so rode all that day, tilt he was 1
fifteen leagues from the place of the buttle,
and at night he came to a castle vlled
Orgulus ;' and then he said he would not
deliver the king of Scots to no man nor
woman living, but all only lo the king of
England his lord. The same day there wu
also taken in the field the earl Moray, the
earl of March, the lord William Dou^is,
the lord Robert Verg", the bishop of Aber
deen, the bishop of Saint Andrews, and
divers other knights and barons. And
there were slain of one and other a fifieen
thousand, and the other saved tliemselves '
ns well as they might. This battle w»
Northu mbcrland
and (K«vyn
BATTLE OF NEVILL'S CROSS^ 1346 {Ott.
CHAPTER CXXXIX
1 the queen of England being at New-
understood how the journey was for
yd her men, she then rode to the place
the battle had been. Then it was
d her how the king of Scots was
by a squire called John Copeland,
B had carried away the king no man
whither. Then the queen wrote to
:|uire conunanding him to bring his
er the king of Scots, and how he had
ell done to depart with him without
All thai day the EnElishmen tarried
1 the eame place anil the queen with
and the next day they returned to
astle. When the queen's letter was
ht to John Copeland, he answered
lid, that as for the king of Scots his
er, he would not deliver him to no
n living, but ail only
>f E
■eign li
•siat
ng of Scots, he said he should he safely
m that he would give account for him.
:n the queen sent letters to the king
lais, whereby the king was informed
; state of his realm : then the king
■ 0 John Copeland, that he
r the s
to him
before Calais. Then the same John
ut his prisoner in safe keeping in a
rode through England
e to Dov
d there
id arrived before Calais. When the
of England saw the squire, he took
ythehandandsaid : 'Ahl welcome,
luire, that by your valiantness hath
mine adversary the king of Scott.'
3 Hire kneeled down and said : ' Sir,
by his grace have suffered me to
he king of Scots by true conquest of
sir, I think no man ought to have any
iheient ; for as well God may send hy
race such a fortune to Eill to a poor
• as to a great lord : and, sir, I require
grace, be r"' -' - -■'-
king said ;
have done aiid your vi
worth, that it must countervail your trespatt J
and he taken for your excuse, and shan><t-fl
have they that bear you any evil will Ihere-iH
for. Ye shall return again home to yowfl
house, and then my pleasure is that 7*1
deliver your prisoner to the queen my wife ;
and in a reward 1 assign you near to your
house, whereas ye think best yourself, five
hundred pound sterling of yearly rent to you
and to your heirs tor ever, and here I
make you squire for my body. ' Then the
third day he departed ajid returned again
into England ; and when he came home to
his own house, he assembled li^ther his
friends and kin, and so they look the king
of Scots and rode with him to the dtv of
York, and there from the king his lord he
presented the king of Scots to the queen,
and excused him so lai^ely, that the queen
and her council were content.
Then the queen made good provision for
the city of York, the castle of Roxbut^h,
the cily of Durham, the town of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, and in all other garrisons on the
marches of Scotland, and Icfl in those
marches the lord Percy and the lord Nevill
as governour there : then the queen de-
parted fiom York toward Ijindon. Then
she set the king of Scots in the stroogJ
tower of London, and the earl Moray ana:!
all other prisoners, and set good keepinB:!
over them. Then she went to Dover and ^
there took the sea, and had so good w
that in a short space she arrived before
Calais, three days before the feast of All
Saints ; for whose coming the king made a
great feast and dinner to all the lords and
ladies that were there. The queen brought
many ladies and damosels with her, as well
to accompany her as to see their husbands,
fathers, brethren and other friends, that lay
at si^e there before Calais and had done
ings[
CHAPTER CXL
The siege before Calais endured
many things fell in the mean i
112
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
which I cannot write the fourth part. The
French king had set men of war in every
fortress in those marches, in the county of
Guines, of Artois, of Boulogne, and about
Calais, and had a great number of Geno-
ways, Normans and other on the sea, so
that when any of the Englishmen would go
a-foraging, other afoot or horseback, they
found many times hard adventures, and
often there was skirmishing about the gates
and dikes of the town, and oftentimes
some slain and hurt on both parties ; some
day the one part lost and some day the
other. The king of England caused engines
to be made to oppress them within the
town, but they within made other again to
resist them, so that they took little hurt by
them ; but nothing could come into the
town but by stealth, and that was by the
means of two mariners, one called Marant
and the other Mestriel, and they dwelt in
Abbeville. By them two they of Cal|iis
were oftentimes recomforted and freshed
by stealth ; and oftentimes they were in
great peril, chased and near taken, but
always they scaped, and made many
Englishmen to be drowned.
All that winter the king lay still at the
siege, and thought and imagined ever to
keep the commonty of Flanders in friend-
ship ; for he thought by their means the
sooner to come to his intent. He sent
oftentimes to them with fair promises, say-
ing that if he might get Calais, he would
help them to recover Lille and Douay with
all their appurtenances ; so by occasion of
such promises, while the king was in Nor-
mandy towards Cressy and Calais, they
went and laid siege to Bethune, and their
captain was sir Oudart de Renty, who was
banished out of France. They held a
great siege before that town and sore con-
strained them by assault ; but within were
four knights captains set there by the
French king to keep the town, that is to
say, sir Geoffrey of Charny, sir Eustace of
Ribemont, sir Baudwin d'Annequin and
sir John of Landas: they defended the
town in such wise, that the Flemings won
nothing there, but so departed and re-
turned again into Flanders. But while
the king of England lay at siege before
Calais, he sent still messengers to them of
''»«'s. and made them great promises
leir amity with him and to oppress
the drift of the French king, who did all
that he could to draw them to his opinion.
The king of England would gladly that
the earl Louis of Flanders, who was as
then but fifteen year of age, should have
in marriage his daughter Isabel. So much
did the king that the Flemings i^eed
thereto ; whereof the king was glad, for he
thought by that marriage the Flemings
would the gladlier help him ; and the
Flemings thought, by having of the king
of England on their party, they might well
resist the Frenchmen ; they thought it
more necessary and profitable for them,
the love of the king of England, rather
than the French king. But the young earl,
who had been ever nourished among the
noblemen of France, would not agree, and
said plainly, he would not have to his wife
the daughter of him that slew his &ther :
also duke John of Brabant purchased
greatly that the earl of Flanders should
have his daughter in marriage, promising
him that if he would take her to his wife,
that he would cause him to enjoy the whole
earldom of Flanders, other by fair means
or otherwise : also the duke said to the
French king, * Sir, if the earl of Flanders
will take my daughter, I shall find the
means that all the Flemings shall take your
part and forsake the king of England * : by
the which promise the French king agreed
to that marriage. When the duke of Bra-
bant had the king's good -will, then he serf
certain messengers into Flanders to the
burgesses of the good towns, and shewed
them so fair reasons, that the counsels of
the good towns sent to the earl thei^
natural lord, certifying him that if h8
would come into Flanders and use thek
counsel, they would be to him true and
good friends and deliver to him all thfl
rights and jurisdictions of Flanders, tl
much as ever any earl had. The earl took
counsel and went into Flanders, where hft
was received with great joy and given to
him many great presents.
As soon as the king of England healdj
of this, he sent into Flanders the earl fli
Northampton, the earl of Arundel and th*
lord Cobham. They did so much with
officers and commons of Flanders, t!
they had rather that their lord the
should take to his wife the king of
land's daughter than the daughter of
BS.TROTBAL OF THE EAKl. OF FLAN^DERS
*ike of Brabant ; and so to do Ihey afiectu-
Dusly desired their lord, and &liewed him
many &ii reasoDs to draw bim to that way,
so that the burgesaes that were on the duke
of Brabant's party durat not say the cnn-
tiaiy. But then the eail in no wise would
consent thereto, but ever he said he would
not wed her, whose father had slain his,
though be might have half of the whole
realm of England. When the Flemings
nw that, they said how their lord was too
much French and evil counselled, and also
said how tbey would' do no good to bim,
dlh he would not believe their counsels.
Tien they took and put him in courteous
prison, and said bow he should never de-
part without he would follow and believe
their counsels. Also they said that the
enrl bis fether believed and loved too
much the Frenchmen ; for if he would a
believed them, he should have been the
Uteatest lord in all Christendom, and re-
covered again Lille, Douay and Bethune,
and yet alive. Thus the matter abode a
certain space ; the king of England lay stilt
« the si^e before Ca&is and kept a great
court that Christmas ; and about the be-
giuDing of Lent after, came thither out of
Gascoyne the earl of Derby, the earl of
Itmbroke, the earl of Oxford and divers
other knights and squires, that had passed
Ifle sea with the earl.
Thus the earl of Flanders was long in
laoger among the Flemings in courteous
Itisoii, and it greatly annoyed him. Then
t last he said he would believe their
ounsel ; for he knew well, he said, that
le should have more ptofit there than in
ny other country. These words rejoiced
Really the FleminEp ; then they took him
int of prison and suffered him to go a-hawk-
Dg to the river, the which sport the earl
Dvcd well ; but ever there was good watch
aid on him, that he should not steal away
rom them, and they were charged on
heti lives to take good heed to bim, and
lUo they were such as were favourable to
he king of England. They watched him
lo near, that he could do nothing without
hor knowledge. This endured so long
bal at last the earl said that he would
^adly have to his wife the king of Eng-
und's daughter. Then the Flemings sent
tnird thereof to the king and to the queen,
"' ipinled a. day that they should come
to Bergues, in the abbey, and to bring
their daughter with them, and they would
bring thither their lord the earl of Flan-
ders; and there to conclude up the mar-
riage. The king and tiie queen were glad
thereof, and said that the Flemings were
good men; so lo Bergues between Newport
and Gravelincs came the most saddest men
of the good towns in Flanders, and
brought with them the earl their lord in
great estate. The king of England and the
queen were there ready: the earl courte-
ously inclined to the king and to the queen :
the king look the earl by the right hand right
sweetly, and led him forth, saying; 'As for
the death of the earl your father, as God
help me, the day of the battle of Cressy
nor the next day after I never heard word
of him that he should be there,' The
young earl by semblant made as though he
had been content with the king's excuse.
Then they tell in communication of the
marriage: there were certain articles agreed
unto by the king of England and the
earl Louis of Flanders, and gjcat amities
there was sworn between (hem to be
holden ; and there the earl fianced Isabel
the king of England's daughter, and pro-
mised to wed her. So that journey brake
oS~, and a new day to be appointed at more
leisure : the Flemings returned into Flanders
with their lord, and the king of England
with the queen went again to the siege of
Calais.
Thus the matter stood a certain time,
and the king and the queen prepared
greatly again the marriage for jewels and
other things to give away, according to
their behaviours. The earl of Flanders
doily passed the time at the river, and
made semblant that this marriage pleased
him greatly ; so the Flemings thought that
they were then sure enough of bim, so that
there was not so great watch made on him
as was before. But they knew not well
the condition of their lord, for whatsoever
countenance he made outward, his inward
courage was all French. So on a day he
went forth with his hawks, the same week
that the marriage should have been
anisbed : his falconer cast off a falcon to
an heron and the earl cast off another. So
these two falcons chased the heron, and
the earl rode after, as lo follow his falcon.
And when he was a good way off and had
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
the advantage of the fields, he dashed
his apuis to his horse and galloped Torlh
in such wise, that his keepers lost him.
Still he galloped forthright, till he came
into Arlois, and there he wns in surety i
and so then he rode into France to king
Philip and shewed him all his adventure.
The king end the Frenchmen said how he
hud dealt wisely ; the Englishmen on the
other side said how he had betrayed and
deceived them : but for all that, the king
left not to keep the Flemings in iunily, for be
knew well the earl had done this deed not by
their counseli for they were sore displeased
tlierewilh ; and the excuse that they made
the king soon believed it in that behalf.
CHAPTER CXLI
CH.-\PTERS CXLII. CXLIII
SUMMARY.— Tht war began asain in
Brittany. The En^lisii tank Ruckedaritn,
and Charles ef Bleis laid sitge to il. An
army seat hy Ike nunless tf Menlfert to
raiie thi siegt lurpriseJ Ike Frtnck, tako
toere defeated, and Ciarlei of Blaii tvoi
taien prisoner.
CHAPTERS CXUV. CXLV
SUMMA A' V. — The Frvnck Hh.^ raised an
army to relievt Calais, bul lit passagei
Tciere sowell krpi, that he coidd not approach.
Xegatialionsfar peici luere n'iliaul effect.
CHAPTER CXLVI
AtTFiL iVa: the French king »-as thus de-
p-,- [ ., -. ^; ... .^- .L^ .....v-,jj] Calais saw
w .E..W. Then
-i Vienii«, that lie went tu \\ik walls of the
town and made a sign to speak with some
person of the host. When the king heard
thereof, he sent thither sir Gaultier of
Manny and sir Basset. Then sir John of
Vienne said to them ; ' Sits, ye be right
valiant knights in deeds of arms, and ye
know well how the lung my master hath
^ent me and other to this town and com-
manded us to keep it to his behoof in such
wise that we lake no blame, nor to him do
damage ; and we have done all that lieth
in our power. Now out succours hath
failed us, and we be so wie strained , that
we have not to live withal, but that we
must all die or else enrage for famine,
without the noble and gentle king of yours
will lake mercy on us ; the which to do
we require you to desire him, to have pity
on us and to let us go and depart as we
be, and let him take the town and castle
and all the goods that be therein, the
which is great abundance.' Then sit
Gaultier of Manny said : " Sir, we know
somewhat of the intention of the king our
mostet, fot he hath shewed it unto us :
surely know for truth it is not bis mind
that ye nor thiy within the town should
depart so, for il is his will that ye all
should put yourselves into his pure will, to I
ransom all such as pleaseth him and to I
put to death such as he list ; fot they of J
Calais hath done him such contraries and I
despiles, and hath caused him to dispend
so much good, and lost many of his n
that he is sore grieved against tht
Then the captain said : ' Sir, this is
hard a matter lo us. We are here witl
a smalt sort of knighls and squires, who
hath truly served the king our master as
well as ye serve yours in like case. And
we have endured much pain and unease
but we shall yet endure as much pain a
ever knighls did, mlher than to consent Iha
the worst bd in the town should have any
more evil than the greatest of us all :
ihetefore, sir, we pray you that of your
humility, yet that ye wiL go and speak to
the king of England and desire him tc
have pity of us ; for we trust in him SO
much gentleness, that by the grace of God
his purpose shall change. '
Sit Gaultier of Manny and sir Basst
returned to the king and declared lo hir
all that had been said. The king sai
he would Doite otherwise but that die
I should yield them up simply to hia plea-
sure. Then sir Gaultier said : ' Sir, saving
your displeHBure, in Ihis ye may be in the
wioDg, for ye shall give by this an evil
ensample ; if ye send any of us your ser-
vants into any fortress, we will not be very
glad to go, if ye put any of them in the
tiiwn to death after they be yielded ; for
ill like wise they will deal with us, if the
case fell like.' The which words divers
Olher lords that were there present sua-
Idned and maintained. Then the king
•aid : ' Sirs, I will not be alone against
you all ; therefore, sir Gaultier of Manny,
ye shall go and say to the captain that all
the grace that he shall find now in me is
Ihil they let six of the chief burgesses of
' the town come out bare-headed, bare-
I (ootcd, and bare-legged, and in their shins,
I witbhttlteraabout their necks, with the keys
I rf the town and castle in their hands, and
I let them six yield themselves purely to my
I wS\, and the residue 1 will take to mercy.
I Then sir Gaultier returned and found
I& JoliD of Vienne still on the wall, abid-
■i^ ior an answer. Then sir Gaultier
l4evred him all the grace that he could get
■tflheking. 'Well,' quoth sirjohn, 'sir,
I I require you tarry here a certain space,
■ 101 I go into the town and shew this to
1% commons of the town, who sent me
fliOler. Then sir John went unto the
iiirket - place and snwned the common
'tII : ihen incontinent men and women
^.serabled there : then the captain made
'eporl of all that be tad done, and said,
' Sirs, it will be none otherwise ; therefore
'iriw take advice and make a short answer.'
I hen all the people began to weep and
''■ matte such sorrow, that there was not
'•> hard a heart, if they had seen them,
'lE that would have had great pity of
"ii.iii'. Ihe captain himself wept piteously.
Vi last the most rich bui^ess of all the
'njn, called Eustace of Saint-Pierre, rose
p and said openly: 'Sirs, great aii^
iiiall, great mischief it should be to sutTer
■■' die such people as be in this town,
' 'iher by famine or otherwise, when there
'- 3 mean to save them. I think he or
■ 'jt-y should have great merit of our Lord
' ' -i that m^hl keep them from such mis-
' 'lief. As for my part. I have so good
f u-1 in our Lord God, that if I die in the
llwtti to aw* ttc reajdoe, that God would
pardon me : wherefore to save them I will
be the tirst lo put my life in jeopardy.'
When he bad thus said, every man wor-
shipped him and divers kneeled down at
his feet with sore weeping and sore sighs.
Then another honest bui^ess rose and
said : ' I will keep company with my
gossip Eu!itace.' He was called John
d'Aire. Then rose up Jaques of Wissanl,
who was rich in goods and heritage ; he
said also that he would bold company with
his two cousins. In like wrise so did
Peter of Wissant his brother : and then
rose two other ;' they said they would do
the same. Then they went and apparelled
them as the king desired.
Then the captain went with them to the
gate : there was great lamentation made of
men, women and children at their depart-
ing : then the gate was opened and be
issued out with the six burgesses and closed
the gate again, so that they were between
the gate and the barriers. Then he said
to sir Gaultier of Manny : ' Sir, I deliver
here lo you ai captain of Calais by the
whole consent of all the people of the town
these six bu^esses, and I swear to you
tnily that they be and were to-day most
honourable, rich and most notable burgesses
of all Ihe town of Calais. Wbererorc,
gentle knight, I require you pray the king
to have mercy nn them, that they die not.'
Quoth sir Gaultier : ' I cannot say what
the king will do, but I shall do for them
the best I can.' Then the barriers were
opened, the six buigesses went towards
the king, and Ihe captain entered again
into the town.
When sir Gaultier presented these
burgesses to the king, they kneeled down
and held up their hands and said : ' Gentle
king, behold here we six, who were
burgesses of Calais and great merchants ;
we have brought to you the keys of the
town and of the castle and we submit
ourselves clearly into your will and pleasure,
to save the residue of the people of Calais,
who have suffered great pain. Sir, we
beseech your grace to have mercy and pity
on us through your high nobless.' Then
all the earls and barons and other that
were there wept for pity. The king looked
felly on them, for greatly he haled the
Jean de flennea imd AnJriw d'Andrtf.
iu> :\':'S CJiXCX/ClES OF F/aO/SSA/^T
Manny
^.cJivU :o '.X- >;:*.v:xesi orr"; ;ho:^ cN<rrv uun marshil*, :he earl of Wani.-ick and the earl
rv\;u::oi.'. :hc v-'.^; tor Tv.orcy. bu: ho ^o;:Ul v^t' Sijirforv.:. or..: said to them : *Sirs, take
hco.: ::».' :v.a:* "'. :h.i: Ix half : :h«r:'. sit v».iu*:*xr uoro :h«r ke\>> of the town and castle of
v*f M.i:v*v >i:o : ' Ah. :v"-'Ic xi"*:. vj v^ivviV C^iis : ^> ar..: :jLke possession there and
xi'vc :v"v.i-.:*. >oi-.t xViiv.-^v : >c hjt\? :he in:; ip. I'risor. i*I :he knights that be there;
:m:v.o >'f v.^vcrv:ii;r'. ••vv'lx'ss ; :rter;::Vt;r v.ovi .ir.o ,\U ocher >.^l.:iers :hat came thither
.:-,» --loi .'. ::v.'5: :\:; ooi.U: VU':v:*>. Vs^-.r >i:'.*:*ly :o wiz ir.tfir li^Tng cause them to
:cr.o*". :vi :.* ji'.^c ,mi:sc :.* Svvv.i* ;,^ >j\f.\V .:\\*:J. :he :owr.. i~i also ail other men,
,■: \i.-i.. \ "".i :'v. K^cr^ ::m:^ nv'.'* s.:v :: :> ,: \\,':v.c:* .\:*o crilcrtr., for I would repeople
^•vi. .••■.:x'.:\ :o ;'».:: :o Jsm:'". >Us*h ?.o;u*>: .•^■.li* ;::c :s^>*:*. *::h r«ure Englishmen. So
vv:<Sv*£*2s. ^*'v ".". :'v:t o^:*. ^'.U vu: :hs*;" :><st' :h:cv \v,:s w:;r. j hi:nv.ired with them
^- A cs . :* : -' ■• '.*»: : 5!' -t .v : o >*in c : he : : sv::^ va:* \ ' \^ c ". : .ir*. .". : -v'^ ix.'sstfssi^'a of Calais, and did
V'*c'* ihs* *. -'t: ■■*:^■xV .ivi.:\ !:vn** >:•*.*.' ,i:v! .*^: :i .'tii^-:: sir ',-h:i >*.e Vienne. sir John of
C-m:* :m =*.!<«.■. :.* sc'v. Vt ;hx* h,*,:':^;".*.*^!*. .'.:*.■. >u :•.,•. >i: Kl'..■.^*■-^. .-f B<:llebra~e and other.
s-i:*.: • rhtr^ -\" vV..l:s h^^c .v.uso.: :v.i:**. "hv::* :h-.y "u.le ii'. :he 5o!.l:ers to bring
.-,• :r: "i^*. :o ,X' sl^:*. ^>.eivv:v -.'i-so .: ". ;>:»^l: ?.Ar:v;^>s :~:.' i rlice appointed
s^*.! . .".c 'jx •-vv ^fc'.NC. ;>.':: :"c .:,:>v.\ .'.'■,■. .:v.: :: .u. ,'."* 1 ze^r in :ne hall of
'.v. r^: 31:^.1: >*'.:h s\v.\i. 'vxv'.x: .■,'*": .v.". C'. ■..'.:>»- l*"'^'-': :J::^;y rzaie ill manner of
s.'£v ■Av.v.'ix ?»iv. . * Vh» jiv.- ''.">.• s:. m:"' I .-V*.-L"!i* :,' w:-,:, jl::-.: Vscc there no more
.M.-^"*: ; ^v.' >;.M : r c*v-''- -V'.".'. *. M • v .•.>:o." crib.'r'S r^: ~ vr-.(i>: ir.«i rw? ocher ancient
Vk ^ 'il -•; N.^c; :*c!v;v:v 'o* I >_":'^ vv-vtv^'cs* >;:ch xs 'v7.«fw the customs,
:oi;.. :v •■-'*: * .he >».-i:o..:; o. .■*^- S^-i* .•: i'o !ja< .:■*..: .-i-.: -x-o^ -■£" the :ow-. and to
\ ■.:-^' * ^^ :.:^ .1 ■.<.■■ vt :hc "■-•vc ,'i ■",' :>.i: •< ,■ >;^" /c: :"'v.* >»ij.;ip:s '*•,"*' they were divided.
vfc ■ . iv,- ""v'.-.-. .'»■ : *v."s;: >:v ....ViifSsiOs V^j^tv- yf^-.Mif.: the cast! s t." lodge the
l>o V -i; .v'c : X* ^-oc-* .in: >:,\.x-. < x -^ .'. v. j^,-xf'\ irr-i rciT;.ir^i ."cher houses
- ,t >. . •■ .: ^v. ,■-,•. .:'•.• .v-r >.i:v: " A'. .. c : *v: v.'i: > ,vj"V;irv Then the king
■.; v^- 1 ^ .". ■,' h.i.: .xv : -i-i "o* '••.'». -itO. ."»•. h.s hi.T« j:::*.' intire-i into the
s. .-o .-. 'v-. -..'.c*," . •••> ".'.'xj >..^-''' ■w->.'< :.-^ : ^fc:-; :"t:-v,xc^ r-.x*crs* z^jaires and
"v: . \:. 1 ,-.■.■.-.■: .■^•■■■- '■•x. ^\ *v:tvv.-iv x': — --;.>fs .'-v. :>v,c- :':re im^ lay till the
1 j; ;: . X :: .■ ■■ -... : -' .' ." ■■-^.- '^c.'-s---,' ^-v.x-: •*v:s :fw^-T; l-■>^i cc 1 iir bdy
:•>.'
*v. \:'..'^ -■ x ..-.v,-: • .-: 'v. cw^* .-• v^'* ".: :o..>c> *-.:h.-: the t:wn. andto
.: -. ,v. ..-s-v. . *v :: ,' "v x * ,- . . X' . ■. ^ . *v. ,..: >;.:.T- i- . :.- :'te 'crl :f Ccccam,
X' , >.. V ..■ >.: ^a. . ' ..-.v-^* c* rur^ersh and to
■i . '^ :: >.\ ■o.\>.'^ .-. •^' or. >* : --txv.^v: lipiin the tjwn.
*i ..i^*. .... .*! *«■ ""^v V "vi ^ ■ ■-'■ *""Ss> *he:r he .:an:e into
i.: :: ** . .x. ■ X 'x;. .'..rv .• >< ..: :: '. -kxi-.-c i thirtv-six
^- "v-. *.. -^eNso . ■ ..V...U* :■: •■*i^ theie.
>.• V....-* .h.:: ■ Tf ;.-*n mi^.t be
'X' • - V > * * -:-.: h'x:^:;::-.:' : the vhkfa
. '^ v: ■-. * -■^'■. - :cn tne a
« .-.>.. . ..• *.:; * .la- "TV.: ■ i ■*-- :h»:ct the
»• % > .. .■ . ■*■:. ::: : :-j rsicJe thit
■ - -'■ '»«. ".'"^'*- rr." ■— :: _ni.* tic
» "'-, ; :- -» ."^ .i'..-..::f- 3ieft t-J
.-> . .■ *-'>^ * ■ "■- ■-- " *n : 3sd
air John de VIenne and his company
. sent into England and were half a year al
I London, then they were put to ransom,
Methink it was greaf pity of the burgesse:
Hid olber men of the town of Calais, ant
women and children, when they were iait
10 forsake their houses, heritages and goods
and to bear away nothing, and ihey had ni
' resloretnent of the French king, for whose
sake they Lost alL The most part of them
went lo Saiot-Omer's.
The cardinal Guyde Boul<^nc, who
come into Fiance in l^ation and was v
ihe French king his cousin in the dty of
Amiens, he purchased so much that a truce
was taken between the kings of England
and of France, their countries and heritages,'
to endure two years. To this truce all
parties were agreed, but Bretayne was
clearly except, for the two ladies made
still war one against the other. Then tbe
king of England and Ihe queen returned
into England, and Ihe king made caplair
of Calais sir Ameij' of Tnvy, a Lombard
born, whom the king had greatly advanced.
Then the king sent from London thiity-sii
burgesses to Calais, who were rich and
sage, and their wives and children, and
daily increased tbe number,* for the king
granted there such liberties and franchises,
that men were glad to go and dwell there.
Tbe same lime was brought to London sir
Charles de Blois, who called himself duke
of Bretayne : he was put in courteous
prison in tbe Tower of London with the
king of Scots and the earl of Moray ; but
he had not been there long but at the
request of the queen of England sir Charles
her cousin-german was received' on his
faith and troth, and rode all about London
,t his pleasure, but he might
' " ■ ■ ■" London, wil
r with the queen. Also
me same iiroe mere was prisoner in Eng-
land the carl of Eu and Guines, a right
genlle knight ; and his dealing was such,
that he was welcome wheresoever he came,
and with Ihe king and queen, lords, ladies
and damosels.*
il the T=quesl of Itw qucm of Epgland, b
^BkMgoRl
nly related I
t this transla
CHAPTERS CXLVIII, CXLIX
SUMMARY.— The truce was broken in
various parts by brigands, who wen and
pluniUred towns ana castles /er their own
profit ; and especially one named Bacon in
Languedoc and anolhtr named Crogtiart
in Brittany.
CHAPTERS CL, CLI
SUMMARY.~Tke king of England, heal-
ing discovered a secret treaty befwan sir
Amery of Pmiia and Ihe French parly,
whereby Calais should have been given uf
to them, passed over privately to cSais, and
fighting under sir Walter de Manny's
battner defeated those who came to receive
Ihe surrender. The king himself fought
long ■with sir Eustace de Ribemimt and
took him prisoner.
CHAPTER CLII
When this battle was done, the king
returned again to the castle of Cilais and
caused all the prisoners to be brought
thither. ThentheFrenchmenknewwellthat
the king had been there personally himself
under the banner of sir Gaultier of Manny.
The king said he would give Ihem all that
-ight a supper in the castle of Calais : the
our of supper came and tables covered,
nd the king and his knights were there
ready, every man in new apparel, and the
Frenchmen also were there and made good
cheer, though they were prisoners. The
king sat down, and the lords and knights
about him right honourably : Ihe prince,
lords and knigbis of England served the
king at the first mess, and at ibe second
they sat down at another tabic : they were
all well served and at great leisure. Then
when supper was done and the tables taken
away, the king tarried still in the hail with
OS, of [ho Black Desih, ijirFl^nlipti, and
ii8
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
his knights and with the Frenchmen, and
he was bare-headed saving a chaplet of fine
pearls that he ware on his head. Then
the king went from one to another of the
Frenchmen, and when he came to sir
Geoflfirey of Charny, a little he changed
his countenance and looked on him and
said : * Sir Geoffrey, by reason I should
love you but a little, when ye would steal
by night from me that thing which I have
so dearly bought and hath cost me so
much good. I am right joyous and glad
that I have taken you with the proof. ^
Ye would have a better market than I
have had, when ye thought to have Calais
for twenty thousand crowns ; but God hath
holpen me and ye have failed of your
purpose.' And therewith the king went
from him, and he gave never a word to
answer. Then the king came to sir Eustace
of Ribemont, and joyously to him he
said : * Sir Eustace, ye are the knight in
the world that I have seen most valiant
assail his enemies and defend himself; nor
I never found knight that ever gave me so
much ado, body to body, as ye have done
this day : wherefore I give you the prize
above all the knights of my court by right
sentence.* Then the king took the chaplet
that was upon his head, being both fair,
goodly and rich, and said : * Sir Eustace, I
give you this chaplet for the best doer in
arms in this journey past of either party,
and I desire you to bear it this year for
the love of me. I know well ye be fresh
and amorous, and oftentimes be among
ladies and damosels. Say wheresoever ye
come that I did give it you, and I quit you
your prison and ransom and ve shall depart
to-morrow, if it please you. ' ^
The same year a thousand three hundred
XLix, king Philip of France wedded his
second wife, the Wednesday the twenty-
ninth day of Januar>% dame Blanche,
daughter to king Philip of Navarre, who
died in Spain : she was of the age of eighteen
year or thereabout. Also the nineteenth
day of February next after, in the beginning
of Lent,^ the duke of Normandy the king's
eldest son wedded his second wife at Saint-
1 ' A I'dpreuve.'
2 The printed text followed by the translator is
here incomplete. The reply of Eustace de Ribe-
mont and other matters are omitted.
^ *Otu Alt le jour de Karesme prenant,' i.e.
ImaMiay.
Genevieve near to Saint-Germain in Laye,
Jane countess of Boul(^^e, sometime wife
to the lord Philip, son to the duke Eudes
of Burgoyne, the which lord Philip died
before Aiguillon a three year before that :
she was daughter of the earl William of
Boulogne and of the daughter of Louis earl
of Evreux. This lady held in her hands
the duchy of Burgo3me and the counties of
Artois, Boulogne, Auvergne and divers
other lands.
CHAPTER CLIII
Of the death of king Philip of France, and
of the coronation of his son John.
SUMMARY.— King Philip died 22ttd
August 1350, and his son John tvcls croiuned
26th September. The earl of Eu and Guines
was beheaded^ and Charles of Spain made
constable of France. In the next year was
founded the fraternity of the Star y and there
was also a great dearth throughout all
France,
CHAPTER CLIV
How the king of Navarre made sir Charles of
Spain, constable of France, to be slain.
SUMMARY. —In the year 1352 the duke
of Lancaster should have fought with the
duke of Brunswick at Paris on the /^h of
September, but the king of France made peace
between them in the lists. Pope Clement
VI. died 6th December and was succeed^
by Stephen Aubert, called Innocent VL In
the year 1353 the king Charles of Naoarre,
earl of Evreux, caused to be slain at Aigle
in Normandy the lord Charles of Spain,
constable of France. For this deed he ex-
cused himself to the king of France, and at
length they were reconctlea.
CHAPTER CLV
Of an imposition and gabelle ordained in
France by the three estates for the feats of
the wars.
SUMMAR Y. — In the year 1355, the prince
of Wales made an expedition to Carccusonne
r
EVENTS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF POITIERS
NarbBma, none opposing him. The
year Ike three estates assembled at Pan's
tie king thirty thousand tntn far one
at their charges, and erdered to be levied
'» every ptrund valiie of estates Ihrough-
'he realm, Bitd that the gabelle cf sail
Id run through the realm. Thin, this
eingswgUienl, they erdered a graduated
r
CHAPTER CLVr
IMARy.—Intheyeariyidtht French
came to Rouen and caused to be taien
iitig ef Navarre, the earl of HartoHrt
others. The earl of HarcoHrl and
of France made war in Normandy
the castles there belonging to the king of
irre, and the duke of Lancaster ,
to help the king of Navarre' s men.
^H CHAPTER CLVII
^BiBembly that Uie French king made
fijrht with the prince of Wales, who
IMARY.—Tbe pHnce of Wales rode
'uvergHe, Serry, Touraine, etc., -with
hausand men of arms and six thousand
•rs. The king of France made a great
tbty to fight with him, and meanwhile
'y ^Frenchmen, Teho had laid an am-
, aiei-e defeated by lie English and fed
WfHR'i
CHAPTER CLVni
^RY.—The town of RomoraiUta
•taken, Iheprince came and assailed the
', which at length was captured by
<i of Greet /re.
CnAI'TER CU\
After the taking of the castle of Romo-
ranlin and of them Ihal were therein, the
prince then and his company rode as they
did before, destroying the country, ap-
proaching to Anjou and to Tourame. The
French king, who was at Chartres, de-
parted and came to Blois and there tarried
two days, and then to Amboise and the
next day to Loches : and then he heard
how thai the prince was at Touraine' anil
how that he was retcming by Poitou : ever
the Englishmen were coasted by certain
expert knights of France, who alway made
report to the king what the Englishmen did.
Then the king came to the Haije in Toiitnine
and his men had passed the river of Loiit,
some at the bridge of Orleans and some at
Mcung, at Saumur, at Blois, and at Tours
and whereas they might ; they were in
number a twenty thousand men of arms
beside other ; there were a twenty-six dukes
and earls and more than sixscore banners,
and the four sons of the king, who were but
young, the duke Charles of Normandy, the
lord Louis, that was from thenceforth duke
of Anjou, and the lord John duke of Beny,
and the lord Philip, who was after duke of
Burgoyne. The same season, pope Inno-
cent thesixthsent the lord Bcrtrand, cardinal
of Perigord, and the lord Nicholas, cardinal
of Urgel, into France, to treat for a peace
between the French king and all his enemies,
first between him and the king of Navarre,
who was in prison : and these cardinals
oftentimes spake to the king for his deliver-
ance during the siege at Bretuel, but they
could do nothing in that behalf. Then the
cardinal of Perigord went to Tours, and
there he heard how Ihe French king hasted
sore to find the Englishmen : then he rode
to Poitiers, for he heard how both the ho.sts
drew thitherward.
The French king heard how the prince
hasted greatly to return, and the king feared
that he should scape him and sn departed
from Haye in Touraine, and all his com-
pany, and rode to Chauvigny, where he
tarried that Thursday in the town ai ' ' '
1 'EnTLmninc
120
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
out along by the river of Creuse, and the
next day the king passed the river at the
bridge there, weening that the Englishmen
had been before him, but they were not.
Howbeit they pursued after and passed the
bridge that day more than threescore
thousand horses, and divers other passed
at Chatclleraut, and ever as they passed
they took the way to Poitiers.
On the other side the prince wist not
truly where the Frenchmen were ; but they
supposed that they were not far off, for they
could not find no more forage, whereby
they had great fault in their host of victual,
and some of them repented that they had
destroyed so much as they had done before
when they were in Berry, Anjou and Tou-
raine, and in that they had made no better
f)rovision. The same Friday three great
ords of France, the lord of Craon, the lord
Kaoul of Coucv and the earl of Joigny,
tarried all day m the town of Chauvigny,
and part of their companies. The Saturday
they passed the bridge and followed the
king, who was then a three leagues before,
and took the way among bushes without a
wood side to go to Poitiers.
The same Saturday the prince and his
company dislodged from a little village
thereby, and sent before him certain currours
to see if they might find any adventure and
to hear where the Frenchmen were. They
were in number a threescore men of arms
well horsed, and with them was the lord
Eustace d'Aubrecicourt and the lord John
of Ghistelles, and by adventure the Eng-
lishmen and Frenchmen met together by
the foresaid wood side. The Frenchmen
knew anon how they were their enemies ;
then in haste they did on their helmets and
displayed their banners and came a great
pace towards the Englishmen : they were
in number a two hundred men of arms.
When the Englishmen saw them, and that
they were so great a number, then they de-
termined to fly and let the Frenchmen
chase them, for they knew well the prince
with his host was not far behind. Then
they turned their horses and took the corner
of the wood, and the Frenchmen after them
crying their cries and made great noise.
And as they chased, they came on the
battle or they were ware thereof
t the prince tarried there to have
from them that he sent forth.
The lord Raoul de Coucy with his banner
went so far forward that he was under the
prince's banner : there was a sore battle
and the knight fought valiantly; howbeit
he was there taken, and the earl of Joigny,
the viscount of Brosse, the lord of Chau-
vigny and all the other taken or slain, but
a few that scaped. And by the prisoners
the prince knew how the French king fol-
lowed him in such wise that he could not
eschew the battle : ^ then he assembled to-
gether all his men and commanded that no
man should go before the marshals* banners.
Thus the prince rode that Saturday from
the morning till it was against night, so that
he came within two little leagues of Poitiers.
Then the captal de Buch, sir Aymenion
of Pommiers, the lord Bartholomew of
Burghersh and the lord Eustace d'Aubreci-
court, all these the prince sent forth to see if
they might know what the Frenchmen did.
These knights departed with two hundred
men of arms well horsed : they rode so far
that they saw the great battle of the king's,
they saw all the fields covered with men of
arms. These Englishmen could not forbear,
but set on the tail of the French host and
cast down many to the earth and took
divers prisoners, so that the host began to
stir, and tidings thereof came to the French
king as he was entering into the city of
Poitiers. Then he returned again and
made all his host do the same, so that Satur-
day it was very late or he was lodged in the
field. The English currours returned again
to the prince and shewed him all that they
saw and knew, and said how the P'rench
host was a great number of people. * Well,'
said the prince, * in the name of God let us
now study how we shall fight with them at
our advantage. * That night the Englishmen
lodged in a strong place among hedges,
vines and bushes, and their host well
watched, and so was the French host.
CHAPTER CLX
Of the order of the Frenchmen before the
battle of Poitiers.
On the Sunday in the morning the French
king, who had great desire to fight with the
1 Or rather, ' that the French kine had gone b
front of them (les avoit advancez) and that he could
in no way depart without being fought with.'
ORDER OF THE TH'O HOSTS
IZT
with
After mass there came to him the
iluke oL Orleans, the duke of Bourbon, the
ca[[ of Ponlhieu, the lord Jaques of Bour-
Inn,' the duke of Athens, constable of
France, the eail of TaocaiviUe, the earl of
Sarrebruck, the earl of Dammartiu, the cail
(if Venladour, and divers other great barons
nf France and of oilier neighbours holding
"f France, ns the lord Cleimont, the lord
Arnold d'Aadrehem, marshal of France, the
l;ird of Sainl-Venant, the lord John of
Landas, the lord Eustace Ribemont, the
lord Fiennes, the lord Geoflrey of Chamy,
Llie lord Chatillon, the lord of Sully, the
lf,rd of Nesle, sir Robert IJuras and divers
other; all these with the king went tocottn-
scl. Then finally it was ordained that all
maunerofmenshoulddrowinto the field, and
rvery lord to display his banner and to set
lartb in the name of God and Saint Denis:
Ilhen trumpets blew up throogh the host and
every man mounted on horseback and went
Into the field, where they saw the king's
bftriner wave with the wind. There might
I. been seen great nobless of feir harness
for then
Ihete was none durst abide at home with-
out he would be shamed for ever. Then
it waj ordained by the advice of the con-
stable and marshals to be made three battles,
and in each ward sixteen thousand men of
atmg all mustered and passed for men of
anns. The Erst battle the duke of Orleans
to govern, with thuty-six banners and twice
as many pennons, the second the duke of
Nonnondy and his two brethren the lord
Louis and the lord John, the third the king
himself; and while that these battles were
-^.-Iting in array, the king colled to him the
i [li iEustace Kibemonl, the lord John of
L.-indas and the lord Richard of Beaujeu,
..iid said to them : 'Sirs, ride on before to
"i; the dealing of the Englishmen and ad-
. >L- well what number they be and by what
ii'.'sns we may fight with [hem, other afoot
I 3-hotseback.' These three knights rode
lorih and the king was on a white courser
and said a-bigh to his men : 'Sirs, among
when ye be at Paris, at Charlies, at
:m or at Orleans, then ye do threat the
y
H,jBqu«
I of la Man
Englishmen and desire to tic in arms out
against them. Now ye be come thereto:
I shall now shew you them : now shew forth
your evil will that ye bear them and revenge
your displeasures and damages that they
have done you, lor without doubt we shall
light with them.' Such as heard him said :
' Sir, in God's name so be ii ; that would
we see' gladly.'
Therewith the three knights returned
again to the king, who demanded of them
tidings. Then sir Eustace of Ribemont
answered for all and said : ' Sir, we have
seen Ihe Englishmen : by estimation they
be two thousand men of arms and four
thousand archers and a fifteen hundred of
other. Howbeit they be in a strong place,
and as far as we can imagine they are in one
battle ; howbeit they be wisely ordered, and
along the way they have fortified strongly the
hedges and bushes; one part of theur archers
are along by the hedge, so that none can
go nor ride [hat way, but must pass by
them, and that way must ye go an ye pur-
pose to fight with them. In this hedge
tliere is but one entry and one issue by
likelihood that four horsemen may ride a-
front. At Ihe end of this hedge, whereas
no man can go nor ride, there be men of
arms afoot and archers afore Ihem in
manner of a herse, so that they will not be
lightly discomfited." 'Well,' said the king,
' what will ye then counsel us to do ? ' Sir
Eustace said : 'Sir, letusallbeafool, except
three hundred men of arms, well horsed,
of the best in your host and most hardiest,
to the intent they somewhat to break and
to open Ihe archers, and then your battles
to follow on quickly afoot and so to fight
with their men of arms hand to hand.
a fight
■Hiis
hat will we do Eladty-'
! The ustiilatioD cJ
■h is fortified strongly wi
In diis hedgo ibcre n bui c
whereby likelibnod four me
«i in from of diEm their
.J and they have
122
THE CHkomCLES OF PROISSART
is the best advice that I can give you : if
any other think any other way better, let
him speak.*
The king said : * Thus shall it be done ' :
then the two marshals rode from battle to
battle and chose out a three hundred knights
and squires of the most expert men of arms
of all the host, every man well armed and
horsed. Also it was ordained that the
battles of Almains should abide still on
horseback to comfort the marshals, if need
were, whereof the earl of Sarrebruck, the
earl of Nidau and the earl of Nassau were
captains. King John of France was there
armed, and twenty other in his apparel ;
and he did put the guiding of his eldest son
to the lord of Saint-Venant, the lord of
Landas and the lord Thibault of Vaudenay ;
and the lord Arnold of CervoUes, called
the archpriest,^ was armed in the armour of
the young earl of Alen9on.
CHAPTER CLXI
How the cardinal of Perigord treated to make
agreement between the French king and
the prince before the battle of Poitiers.
When the French king's battles was or-
dered and every lord under his banner among
their own men, then it was commanded
that every man should cut their spears to
a five foot long and every man to put off
their spurs. Thus as they were ready
to approach, the cardinal of Perigord^
came in great haste to the king. He came
the same morning from Poitiers ; he kneeled
down to the king and held up his hands
and desired him for God's sake a little to
abstain setting forward till he had spoken
with him : then he said : * Sir, ye have here
all the flower of your realm against a handful
of Englishmen as to regard your company,^
and, sir, if ye may have them accorded to
you without battle, it shall be more profitable
and honourable to have them by that manner
rather than to adventure so noble chivalry
as ye have here present. Sir, I require you
1 Arnaud de CervoUes, one of the most cele-
brated adventurers of the 14th century, called the
archpriest because though a layman he possessed
the ecclesiastical fief of Vd'lines.
- Talleyrand de Perigord.
•< The meaning is, * Ye have here all the flower
of your realm against a handfulof people, for so the
Englishmen are as compared with your company.'
in the name of God and humility that I may
ride to the prince and shew him what
danger ye have him in.' The king -said : *It
pleaseth me well, but return again shortly.'
The cardinal departed and diligently he
rode to the prince, who was among his men
afoot : then the cardinal alighted and came
to the prince, who received him courteously.
Then the cardinal after his salutation made
he said : * Certainly, fair son, if you and
your council advise justly the puissance of
the French king, ye will suffer me to treat
to make a peace between you, an I may.'
The prince, who was young and lusty, said:
* Sir, the honour of me and of my people
saved, I would gladly fall to any reasonable
way. ' Then the cardinal said : * Sir, ye say
well, and I shall accord you, an I can ; for
it should be great pity if so many noble-
men and other as be here on both parties
should come tc^ether by battle. ' Then the
cardinal rode again to the king and said :
' Sir, ye need not to make any great haste
to fight with your enemies, for they cannot
fly from you though they would, they be in
such a ground : wherefore, sir, I require you
forbear for this day till to-morrow the sun-
rising.' The king was loath to agree thereto,
for some of his council would not consent to
it ; but finally the cardinal shewed such
reasons, that the king accorded that respite:
and in the same place there was pight up a
pavilion of red silk fresh and rich, and gave
leave for that day every man to draw to
their lodgings except the constable's and
marshals' battles.
That Sunday all the day the cardinal
travailed in riding from the one host to the
other gladly to agree them : but the French
king would not agree without he might
have four of the principallest of the English-
men at his pleasure, and the prince and all
the other to yield themselves simply : how-
beit there were many great offers made.
The prince offered to render into the king's
hands all that ever he had won in that
voyage, towns and castles, and to quit all
prisoners that he or any of his men had
taken in that season, and also to swear not
to be armed against the French king in
seven year after ; but the king and his
council would none thereof : the uttermost
that he would do was, that the prince and
a hundred of his knights should yield them-
selves into the king's prison ; otherwise he
MEDtATlON ATTEMPTED
^ptHild not : the which the prince would in
^n wise agree unto.
In the mean season that the cardinal rode
thus between the hosts in trust lo do some
U'xiii, certain knights of France and of
Ktigland both rode forth the same Sunday,
because it was Iruce for that day, to coosl
the hosts and lo behold the dealing of their
vneinies. So it fortunetl that the lord John
Chaodos rode the same day coasting the
French host, and in like nuuiner the lord
of Clermont, one of the French marshals,
had ridden forth and ariewed the stale of
the English host ; and as these two knights
retam^ towards their hosts, Ihey met
together ; each of Ihem bare one manner of
device, a blue lady embroidered in a sun-
beam alxive on their appaiel. Theo the
lord Clermont said: ^Chandos, how long
hare ye taken on you to bear my device ? '
' Nay, ye bear mine, ' said Chandos, ' for it is
as well mine as yours.' ' I deny that,' said
Clermont, ' but an it were not for the trace
this daj between us, I should make it good
on you incontinent that ye have no right to
bear my device.' 'Ah, sir,' said CtiMidos,
'ye shall find me to-morrow ready to defend
you and lo prove by feat of arms that it is
as well mine as yours. ' Then Clermont said :
'Chandos, these be well the words of you
Englishmen, for ye can devise nothing of
new. but all that ye see is good and lair.'
So they departed without any more doing,
and each of them returned to their host.
The cardinal of Perigord could in no wise
that Sunday make any agreement between
the parties, and when it was near night he
Kniracd to Poitiers. That night the
Frenchmen took their case ; they had pro-
fiuoD enough, and the Englishmen had
great default ; they could get no forage,
DOT tbey could not depart thence without
dar^r of their enemies. That Sunday the
Englishmen made great dikes and hedges
about their archers, lo be the more stronger ;
and on the Monday in the morning the
prince and his company were ready ap-
parelled as th^ were before, and about the
sun-riHng in like manner were the French-
men. The same morning betimes the
cudinal came again to the French host and
Ihoueht by his preaching lo pacify the
Ciesi liut then the Frenchmen said to
: ' Return whither ye will ; bring
hither no more words of treaty nor peace :
ye love yourself depart shortly.' When
: love yi
ardinal
ailed it
he took leave of the king and then he went
(0 the prince and said ; ' Sir, do what ye
can : there is no remedy but to abide the
battle, for I can find none accord in the
Frenchking.' Then the prince said ; 'The
same is our intent and all our people : God
help the right I' So the cardinal returned
to Poitiers. In his company there were
certain knights aod squires, men of anns,
who were more favourable to the French
king than to the prince : and when they
saw that the parties should fight, they stale
from their masters and went to the French
host ; and Ihey made their captain the
chatelain of Amposte,' who was as then
there with the cardinal, who knew nothing
thereof till he was come to Poitiers.
The certainty of the order of the English-
men was shewed lo the French king, except
they had ordained three hundred men a-
horseback and as many archers ahorseback
to coast under covert of the mountain and
to strike into the battle of the duke of
Normandy, who was imder the mountain
afooL This ordinance they had made of
new, that the Frenchmen knew not of.
The prince was with his battle down among
the vines and had closed in the weakest
part with their carriages.
Now will I name some of the principnl
lords and knights that were there with the
prince ; the earl of Warwick, the earl of
Suffiilk, the earl of Salisbury, the earl of
Peter his brother, the lord Berkeley, the lord
Basset, the lord Warin, the lord Delaware,
the lord Mannc, the lord Willoughby, the
lord Bartholomew de Burghersh, the lord of
Felton, the lord Kichard of Pembroke, the
lord Stephen of Cosingion, the lord Brade-
tane and other Englishmen ; and of Gas-
con there was the lord of Poramiers, the
lord of Languiran, the captal of Buch, the
lord John of Cavmiont, the lord deLesparre,
the lord of Rauzan, the lord of Condon, tbe
lord of MontfetTand, the lord of Landiras,
the lord soudic of Latrau and other that I
cannot name ; and of Hainowes the lord
Eustace d'Aubrecicourt, the lord John of
Ghistelles, and two olher strangers, the
lord Daniel Paj^le and the lord Denis of
afom
in Caiili
ri^
THE CHJtOSICLES CF F£CI3SJlRr
ViT «i *i^0iti 'M-jmsoft tojol cue arut irritfr.
i^l^jcm^ tun. »!i«r*r^~jafe w«r« oscre ±aaL
CHAPTER CLXII
*A'4>?t vji 1-jt French Irng
Tft'/Jlt* 'he yrxicjft iam :rAZ he sfaooid hare
->4?r> a«vl •har tiut ':ar'i£sal was gotat wiih-
^,»ii if,j j^suut or ?r3«r maknig, ami saw
•;-i^ 'ru^ rf*t*ch ksg 'iiri %et bat Kttic store
-/^ ftw*;, he «url then tr» hh men : * Xaw,
uf i, 'Iv.*;^ we fje tjot a Mnall company as
m r^sj^^ t/f the yais^aaot: of oar enemies,
le? .v4 CiOt \^ iZAAhed thaefrjr ; for tbe
irj«t?//ry litth n/jC in the maltitade of people,
f-«f wr*ereu G^xi wUl send it- If it Ibmme
fhc»/ fhe yMmej \ft fnan, we shall be the
tft^At. tuf/nf/aTtti [fto^e of all the world ; and
if we die in our right tparrel, I have the
kini(, tny htftCi ana brethren, and also ye
fiAV^ y//A fnewU znd kinsmen ; these shall
reverijjfr nx. Therefore, sirs, for God's
*ake r rvjuire jfM do your devoirs this day ;
l^ff if (j(f\ \ft lAeauttd and Saint George,
thi« day ye hhall see me a eood knight'
Tliev: w(jrf\% awl such oCher that the prince
ft^/ake rjtmfffftet] all his people. The lord
Mr John Chandra that day never went from
tlie prince, rtffr z\%fi the lord James Audley
of a great %t2a4m ; but when he saw that
they fthould neerls fight, he said to the
prince : * Sir, 1 have served always truly my
liffi] your father and you also, and shall do
a» long a» I live. I say this because I made
once a vow that the first battle that other
the king your father or any of his children
nhouM !>c at, how that I would be one of
th<; fifHt setters on,* or else to die in the
|iairi : therefore 1 rcouire your grace, as in
r«:ward for any service that ever I did to
{\u: king your father or to you, that you will
jMvc Mu: licence to depart from you and to
srt rny.mlf thcrcas I may accomplish my
vow.' Tlu: nrincc accorded to his desire
and said, 'Sir James, God give you this
day llial ^'racc to Ijc tlie l^est knight of all
other,* atid so tcjok him by the hand. Then
the knight departed from the prince and
^ to the foremost front of all the battles,
• tint tetter^on and the best combatant.'
i^ CMUT acaan vmn ins, with, iaim squres, who
crmxEsed sue t<: ia. hxm. This lord James
xn^sLsa^3BdxT^aBt\3a^bt, and by
w:b imndt of ^f host ovduned and
^ivemed die cxt b«9bre. Thus sir James
W3S sr C2ae oocc of t^ bortle rcadiy to fight
w^ rae bsnie of rfikf marJnk of France.
lii like wise i^DgtI Eostace d'Anfaredcourt
•iai ts pun so be one of the foremost to
sec on. Wiben sr Tames Andlcy began to
sec ixwaid to hs mnwirs k fortuned to
sir Eostace d'Aibrecicficft as je shall hear
afm. Ye ha^e hcsid befiarc how the
Ahnazos in the French host were appointed
to be sdH a4iotseback. Sir F^ntmy being
a-borsefaack Lxid his spear in the rest and
ran into tbe French battle, and then a
kn^ht of Almaizie, called the lord Louis of
Recombes, who bare a shiekl silver, five
roses gales, and sir Eostace bare ermines,
two hamedes of goles,^ — when thb Almain
saw the kird Eostace come firom his com-
pany, he rode against him and they met so
nidely, that both kni^ts fell to the earth.
The Almain was hmt in the shoulder,
therefore he rose not so quickly as did sir
Eustace, who when he was up and had
taken his breath, he came to the other
knight as he lay on the ground ; but then
five other knights of Almaine came on him
all at once and bare him to the earth, and
so perforce there he was taken prisoner and
brought to the earl of Nassau, who as then
took no heed of him ; and I cannot say
whether they sware him prisoner or no, but
they tied him to a chare and there let him
stand.*
Then the battle began on all parts, and
the battles of the marshals of France ap-
proached, and they set forth that were
appointed to break the array of the archers.
They entered a-horseback into the way where
the great hedges were on both sides set fidl of
archers. As soon as the men of arms entered,
the archers began to shoot on both sides
and did slay and hurt horses and knights,
so that the horses when they felt the £arp
arrows they would in no wise go forward,
but drew aback and Hang and took on so
fiercely, that many of them fell on their
masters, so that for press they could not
rise again ; insomuch that the marshals'
battle could never come at the prince.
^ That is, two hamedes gules on a field ermine.
2 ' They tied him on to a cart with their hames&'
r
BATTLE OF POTTIEAS, 1356 i^Scfl. 19)
125
Certain knights and squires that were well
hursed passed through ihe archers and
thought 10 approach to the piince, but they
could not. The lord James Audley with
his four squires was in the front of that
battle and there did oiatvela in arms, anil
by great prowess he came and fought with
ar Arnold d'Audrehem under his own
lianner, and there they fought long together
nnd sir Arnold was there sore handled.
The battle of the marshals began to disorder
Ijy reason of the shot of the archers with the
aid of the men of arms, who came in among
them and slew of them and did what they
list, and there was the lord Arnold
il'Audrehem taken prisoner by other men
ihan by sir lames Audley or by his four
ajuires ; ibr that day he never look prisoner,
I but always fought and went on his enemies.
I Also on the French parly the lord John
I Domoiit fought under his own banner as
I long as he could endure : but there he was
I beaten down and could not be relieved nor
I lansomed, but was slain without mercy :
I lome said it was because of the words that
I be had Ihe day before to sir John ChandcB.
I So within a short space the marshals' battles
were discomfited, for they fell one upon
mother and could not go forth ; ' and the
Frenchmen that were behind and could not
gel Ibrward reculed back and came on the
battle of the duke of Normandy, the which
was great and thick and were afoot, but
anon Ihey began lo open behind ; ' for
when they knew that the marshals' battle
was discomfited, they took theu" horses and
departed, he that might best. Also they
saw a rout of Englishmen coming down a
little mountain a-hoiseback, and many
archers with them, who brake in on thi
side of the duke'a battle. True to say, thi
archers did their company that day great
adi-antage ; for they shot so thick that ' ■"
Frenchmen wist not on what side to I
heed, and little and little the Englishi
won ground on them.
And when the men of arms of England
saw that the marshals' battle was dis-
izomtiled and that the duke's battle began
in disorder and open, they leapt then
11 Iheir horses, the which they had ready
[qr Ibem : then they assembled together
and cried, ' Saint Geoige ! Guyenne 1 ' and
the lord Chandos said to the prince :
lake your horse and ride forth ; this
i'ourney is yours : God is this day in your
lands : get us to the French king's battle,
for their lieth all the sore of the matter. I
think verily by his valiantness he will not
fly : I trust we shall have him by the grace
□f God and Saint George, so he be well
fought withal : and, sir, I heard you say
that this day I should see you a good
knight.' The prince said, ' Lei us go forth ;
ye shall not see me this day return back,'
and said, 'Advance, banner, in the mime
of God and of Saint George.' The knight
that bare it did his commandment : there
was then a sore battle and a perilous, and
many a man overthrown, and he that was
once down could not be relieved again
without great succour and aid. As the
prince rode and entered in among his
enemies, he saw on his right hand in a
little bosh lying dead the lord Robert of
Duras and his l^ner by him,* and a ten or
twelve of his men about him. Then the
prince said iD two of his squires and to
three archers : ' Sirs, take the body of this
knight on a targe and bear him to Poitiers,
and present him irom me to the cardinal of
Perigord, and say how I salute him by that
token.' And this was done. The prince
was informed that the cardinal's men were
on the field against him, the which was not
pertaining lo the right order of arms, for
men of the church that cometh and goeth
for treaty of peace ought not hy reason to
bear harness nor to fight for neither of the
parties ; they ought lo be indifferent ; and
because these men had done so, the prince
was displeased with the cardinal, and then
Amposte was taken, and the prince would
have fiad his head stricken on, because he
was pertaining to the cardinal, but then the
lord Chandos said: ' Sir, suffer for a season :
intend lo a greater matter : and peradventure
the cardinal will make such excuse that ye
shall be content,'
of France. There was many a
L and cast to the earth. As Ihe
iEJual adds, 'qui cidiH! ic France I
126
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Frenchmen fought in companies, they cried,
' Mountjoy ! Saint Denis ! ' and the English-
men, * Saint George ! Guyenne ! ' Anon
the prince with his company met with the
battle of Almains, whereof the earl of
Sarrebruck, the earl Nassau and the earl
Nidau were captains, but in a short space
they were put to flight : the archers shot so
wholly tc^ether that none durst come in
their dangers : they slew many a man that
could not come to no ransom : these three
earls was there slain, and divers other
knights and squires of their company, and
there was the lord d'Aubrecicourt rescued
by his own men and set on horseback, and
after he did that day many feats of arms and
took good prisoners. When the duke of
Normandy's battle saw the prince approach,
they thought to save themselves, and so the
duke and the king's children, the earl of
Poitiers and the earl of Touraine, who
were right young, believed their govemours
and so departed from the field, and with
them more than eight hundred spears, that
strake no stroke that day. Howbeit the
lord Guichard d'Angle and the lord John of
Saintre, who were with the earl of Poitiers,
would not fly, but entered into the thickest
press of the battle. The king's three sons
took the way to Chauvigny, and the lord
John of Landas and the lord Thibauld of
Vaudenay, who were set to await on the
duke of Normandy, when they had brought
the duke a long league from the battle, then
they took leave of the duke and desired the
lord of Saint -Venant that he should not
leave the duke, but to bring him in safe-
guard, whereby he should win more thank
of the king than to abide still in the field.
Then they met also the duke of Orleans and
a great company with him, who were also
departed from the field with clear hands :
there were many good knights and squires,
though that their masters departed from the
field, yet they had rather a died than to
have had any reproach.
Then the king's battle came on the
Englishmen : there was a sore fight and
many a ^reat stroke given and received.
The; kin^ and his youngest son met with the
l)atllc (jf the English marshals, the earl of
Warwick and the earl of Suffolk, and with
them of Gascons the captal of Buch, the
lord of Pommiers, the lord Amery of Tastes,
the lord of Mussidan, the lord of Languiran
and the lord de Latrau. To the French
]>arty there came time enough the lord John
of TJandas and the lord of Vaudenay ; they
alighted afoot and went into the king's
battle, and a little beside fought the duke
of Athens, constable of France, and a little
above him the duke of Bourbon and many
good knights of Bourbonnais and of Picardy
with him, and a little on the one side there
were the Poitevins, the lord de Pons, the
lord of Partenay, the lord of Dammartin,
the lord of Tannay-Bouton, the lord of
Surgieres, the lord John Saintre, the lord
Guichard d'Angle, the lord Argenton, the
lord of Linieres, the lord of Montendre and
divers other, also the viscount of Roche-
chouart and the earl of Aunay ; ^ and of Bur-
goyne the lord James of Beaujeu, the lord de
Chateau -Vilain and other : in another part
there was the earl of Ventadour and of
Montpensier, the lord James of Bourbon,
the lord John d'Artois and also the lord
James his brother, the lord Arnold of
Cervolles, called the archpriest, armed for
the young earl of Alen9on ; and of Auvergne
there was the lord of Mercceur, the lord de
la Tour, the lord of Chalen9on, the lord of
Montaigu, the lord of Rochfort, the lord
d'Acier, the lord d'Acon ; and of Limousin
there was the lord de Melval, the lord of
Mareuil, the lord of Pierrebuffiere ; and of
Picardy there was the lord William of
Nesle, the lord Arnold of Rayneval, the
lord Geoffrey of Saint-Dizier, the lord of
Chauny, the lord of Helly, the lord of
Montsault, the lord of Hangest and divers
other : and also in the king's battle there
was the earl Douglas of Scotland, who
fought a season right valiantly, but when
he saw the discomfiture, he departed and
saved himself ; for in no wise he would be
taken of the Englishmen, he had rather
been there slain. On the English part the
lord James Audley with the aid of his four
squires fought always in the chief of the
battle : he was sore hurt in the body and
in the visage : as long as his breath served
him he fought ; at last at the end of the
battle his four squires took and brought
him out of the field and laid him under a
hedge side for to refresh him ; and they
unarmed him and bound up his wounds as
well as they could. On the French party
king John was that day a fiill right good
1 ' Lc conte d'Aulnoy,' but it should be * visconte.
BATTLE OF POITIERS
127
knight : if the fourth part of his men had
done their devoirs as well as he did, the
journey had been his by all likelihood.
Howbeit they were all slain and taken that
were there, except a few that saved them-
selves, that were with the king.^ There
was slain the duke Peter of Bourbon, the
lord Guichard of Beaujeu, the lord of
Landas, and the duke of Athens, constable
of France, the bishop of Chalons in Cham-
pagne, the lord William of Nesle, the lord
Eustace of Ribemont, the lord de la Tour,
the lord William of Montaigu , sir Grismouton
of Chambly, sir Baudrin de la Heuse, and
many other, as they fought by companies ;
and there were taken prisoners the lord of
Vaudenay, the lord of Pompadour, and the
archpriest, sore hurt, the earl of Vaudimont,
the earl of Mons, the earl of Joinville, the
earl of Vendome, sir Louis of Melval, the
lord Pierrebuffiere and the lord of Serignac :
there were at that brunt slain and taken
more than two hundred knights. '^^
CHAPTER CLXIII
Of two Frenchmen that fled from the battle of
Poitiers, and two Englishmen that followed
them.
Among the battles, recounterings, ohases
and pursuits that were made that day in
the field, it fortuned so to sir Oudart of
Renty that when he departed from the field
because he saw the field was lost without
recovery, he thought not to abide the
danger of the Englishmen ; wherefore he
fled all alone and was gone out of the field
^ * Howbeit they that stayed acquitted them as
well as they might, so that they were all slain or
taken. Few escaped of those that set themselves
with the king ' : or according to the fuller text :
* Few escaped of those that alighted down on the
sand by the side of the king their lord.'
2 The translator has chosen to rearrange the
above list of killed, wounded or taken, which the
French text gives in order as they fought, saying
that in one part there fell the duke of Bourbon, sir
Guichard ot Beaujeu and sir John of Landas, and
there were severely wounded or taken the arch-
priest, sir Thibaud of Vodenay and sir Baudouin
d'Anneqnin ; in another there were slain the duke
of Athens and the bishop of Chalons, and taken the
earl of Vaudemont and Joinville and the earl of
Vendome : a little above this there were slain sir
William de Nesle, sir Eustace de Ribemont and
others, and taken sir Louis de Melval, the lord of
Pierrebufiere nM th^ lord of Seregnagh.
a league, and an English knight pursued
him and ever cried to him and said,
* Return again, sir knight, it is a shame to
fly away thus.* Then the knight turned,
and the English knight thought to have
stricken him with his spear in the targe,
but he failed, for sir Oudart swerved aside
from the stroke, but he failed not the
English knight, for he strake him such a
stroke on the helm with his sword, that he
was astonied and fell from his horse to the
earth and lay still. Then sir Oudart
alighted and came to him or he could rise,
and said, * Yield you, rescue or no rescue,
or else I shall slay you.' The Englishman
yielded and went with him, and afterward
was ransomed. Also it fortuned that another
squireofPicardy called John de Hellenes was
fled from the battle and met with his page,
who delivered him a new fresh horse,
whereon he rode away alone. The same
season there was in the field the lord
Berkeley of England, a young lusty knight,
who the same day had reared his banner,
and he all alone pursued the said John of
Hellenes. And when he had followed the
space of a league, the said John turned
again and laid his sword in the rest instead
of a spear, and so came running toward the
lord Berkeley, who lift up his sword to have
stricken the squire ; but when he saw the
stroke come, he turned from it, so that the
Englishman lost his stroke and John strake
him as he passed on the arm, that the lord
Berkeley's sword fell into the field. When
he saw his sword down, he lighted suddenly
off his horse and came to the place where
his sword lay, and as he stooped down to
take up his sword, the French squire did
pike his sword at him, and by hap strake
him through both the thighs, so that the
knight fell to the earth and could not help
himself. And John alighted off his horse
and took the knight's sword that lay on the
ground, and came to him and demanded if
he would yield him or not. The knight
then demanded his name. 'Sir,' said he,
* I hight John of Hellenes ; but what is
your name ? ' * Certainly,' said the knight,
' my name is Thomas and am lord of
Berkeley, a fair castle on the river of Severn
in the marches of Wales.' *Well, sir,'
quoth the squire, *then ye shall be my
prisoner, and I shall bring you in safe-guard
and 1 shall see that you shall be healed of
128
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
your hurt.* 'Well/ said the knight, *I
am content to be your prisoner, for ye have
by law of anns won me.' There he sware
to be his prisoner, rescue or no rescue.
Then the squire drew forth the sword out
of the knight's thig^ and the wound was
open : then he wrapped and bound the
wound and set him on his horse and so
brought him fair and easily to Chatelleraut,
and there tairied more than fifteen days for
his sake and did get him remedy for his hurt :
and when he was somewhat amended, then
he gat him a litter and so brought him at
his ease to his house in Picardy. There he
was more than a year till he was perfectly
whole ; and when he departed he paid for
his ransom six thousand nobles, and so this
squire was made a knight by reason of the
profit that he had of the lord Berkeley.
CHAPTER CLXIV
I low king John was taken prisoner at the
battle of Poitiers.
Oftentimes the adventures of amours
and of war are more fortunate and marvel-
lous than any man can think or wish.
Truly this battle, the which was near to
Poitiers in the fields of Beauvoir and
Maupertuis, was right great and perilous,
and many deeds of arms there was done
the which all came not to knowledge.
The fighters on both sides endured much
pain : king John with his own hands did that
day marvels in arms : he had an axe in his
hands wherewith he defended himself and
fought in the breaking of the press. Near
to the king there was taken the earl of
Tancarville, sir Jaques of Bourbon earl of
Ponthieu, and the lord John of Artois earl
of Eu, and a little above that under the
banner of the captal of Buch was taken sir
Charles of Artois and divers other knights
and sf|uires. The chase endured to the
^ates of Poitiers : there were many slain
and l)caten down, horse and man, for they
of Poitiers closed their gates and would
suffer none to enter; wherefore in the street
]>efore the gate was horrible murder, men
liurt and l^eaten down. The Frenchmen
yielded themselves as far off as they might
Know an lOnj^lishman ; there were divers
English archers that had four, five qk six
prisonos : the lord of Pons, a great baron
of Poitou, was there slain, and many other
kn^hts and squires ; and there was taken
the earl of Rodiechouart, the k»d of Dam-
martin, the lord of Partenay, and of Sain-
tonge the lord of McMiten<ke and the lord
John of Saintre, but be was so sore hurt
that he had never health after: he was
reputed for one of the best knights in
France. And there was left for dead
among other dead men the lord Guichard
! d' Angle, who fought that day by the king
right valiantly, and so did the lord of
Chamy, on whom was great press, because
he bare the sovereign banner of the king's :
his own banner was also in the field, the
which was of gules, three scutcheons silver.
So many Englishmen and Gascons came to
that part, that perforce they opened the
king's battle, so that the Frenchmen were
so mingled among their enemies that some-
time there was five men upon one gentleman.
There was taken the lord of Pompadour
and ^ the lord Bartholomew de Burghersh,
and there was slain sir Geoffrey of Chamy
with the king's banner in his hands : also
the lord Raynold Cobham slew the earl
of Dammartin. Then there was a great
press to take the king, and such as knew
him cried, * Sir, yield you, or else ye are
but dead.* There was a knight of Saint-
Omer's, retained in wages with the king ct
England, called sir Denis Morbeke, who
had served the Englishmen five year before,
because in his youth he had forfeited the
realm of France for a murder that he did
at Saint-Omer's. It happened so well for
him, that he was next to the king when
they were about to take him : he stept
forth into the press, and by strength of
his body and arms he came to the French
king and said in good French, * Sir, 3deld
you.' The king beheld the knight and
said : * To whom shall I jaeld me ? Where
is my cousin the prince of Wales ? If I might
see him, I would speak with him.' Denis
answered and said : * Sir, he is not here ;
but yield you to me and I shall bring you
to him. ' * Who be you ? ' quoth the king.
* Sir,' quoth he, * I am Denis of Morbeke,
a knight of Artois ; but I serve the king of
England because I am banished the realm
1 This *and' should be 'by/ but the French
text is responsible for (he mistake.
of France and I have forfeiteii all that I
had there.' Then the king gave him his
right gauntlet, saying, ' I yield me lo
you.' There was a great press about the
king, for every man enforced him lo
say,^ ' I have taken him,' so that the king
could not go forwa.rd with his young son
the lord Philip with him .hecsuse of the
[iiesa.
The prince of Wales, who was courageous
and cruel as a lion, took that day great
pleasure to light and to chase his enemies.
The lord John Chandos, who was with
him, of all that day never left him nor
never took heed of taking of any prisoner ;
then at the end of the hattte he said to the
Erince : ' Sir, it were good that yuu rested
ere and set your banner a-high in this
hush, that your people may draw hither,
for Ihey be sore spread abroad, nor I can
see no more hanneis nor pennons of the
French party ; wherefore, sir, rest and
refresh you, for ye be sore chafed.' Then
the prince's banner was set up a-high on a
bush, and trumpets and clarions b^an lo
sown. Then the prince did oil' his bassenet,
snd the knights for his body and they of his
chamber were ready about him, and a red
: about him, the which still in.
creased as they came from the chase ; there
they tarried and their prisoners with them.
And when the two marshals were come to
the prince, he demanded of them if they
knew any tidings of the French king. They
answered and said : ' Sir, we hear none of
certainty, but we think verily he is other
dead or taken, for he is not gone out of
the battles.' Then the prince said lo the
earl of Warwick and lo sir Raynold Cob-
ham ! ' Sirs, I require you go forth and see
what ye can know, that at your return ye
may shew me the truth.' These two lords
look iheir horses and departed from the
prince and rode up a little hill lo look
about them ; then they perceived a flock
of men of arms conring together right
wearily ; ' there Was the French king afoot
in great peril, for Englishmen and Gascons
were his masters ; tbey had taken him from
sir Denis Morbefce perforce, and such as
were most of force said, 'I have taken
him' : 'Nay.'qliolh another, ' I havelaken
1
him': so ihey slrave which should have
him. Then the French king, lo eschew
that peril, said ; ' Sirs, strive not : lead
me courteously, and my son, to my cousin
the prince, and strive not for my taking,
for I am so great a lord lo make you oil
rich.' The king's words somewhat appeased
them ; howbeit ever as they went they
made riot and brawled for the taking of
the king. When the two foresaid lords
saw and heard that noise and strife among
them, they came to them and said : ' Sirs,
what is the mailer that ye strive for?'
'Sirs,' said one of them, ' it is for the French
king, who is here taken prisoner, and
there be more than ten knights and squires
that challengeth the taking of him and of his
son.' Then the two lords entered into the
press and caused every man to draw aback,
and commanded them in the prince's name
on pain of their heads to make no more
noise nor to approach the king no nearer,
without they were commanded. Then
every man gave room to the lords, and
they alighted and did Iheir reverence to
the king, and so brought him and his son
in peace and rest to the prince of Wales.
CHAPTER CLXV
As soon as the earl of Warwick and the
lord Cobham were departed &om the prince,
as ye have heard before, then the prince
demanded of the knights that were about
him for the lord Audley, if any knew any-
thing of him. Some knights that were
there answered and said : ' Sir, he is sore
hurt anil lielh in a litter here beside.'
' By my faith,' said the prince, 'of his hurls
I am right sorry : go and know if he may
be brought hither, or else I will go and see
him thereasheis.' Then two knights came
to the lord Audley and said : ' Sir, the
prince desireth greatly to see you, othbr
ye must go to him or else he will come lo
you.' 'Ah, sir,' said the knight, 'I thank
the prince when he thinketh on so poor
a knight as I am.' Then he called eight
of his servants and caused them to bear
him in bis litter to the place whereas the
prince was. Then the prince took him in
i
I30
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
his arms and kissed him and made him
great cheer and said : * Sir James, I ought
greatly to honour you, for by your valiance
ye have this day achieved the grace and
renown of us all, and ye are reputed for
the most valiant of all other.* *Ah, sir,'
said the knight, 'ye say as it pleaseth
you : I would it were so : and if I have
this day anything advanced myself to serve
you and to accomplish the vow that I
made, it ought not to be reputed to me
any prowess. * ' Sir James,* said the prince,
* I and all ours take you in this journey for
the best doer in arms, and to the intent to
furnish you the better to pursue the wars,
I retain you for ever to be my knight with
five hundred marks of yearly revenues, the
which I shall assign you on mine heritage
in England.' * Sir,' said the knight, * God
grant me to deserve the great goodness
that ye shew me ' : and so he took his
leave of the prince, for he was right feeble,
and so his servants brought him to his
lodging. And as soon as he was gone,
the earl of Warwick and the lord Cobham
returned to the prince and presented to
him the French king. The prince made
lowly reverence to the king and caused
wine and spices to be brought forth, and
himself served the king in sign of great
love.
CHAPTER CLXVI
How the Englishmen won greatly at the
battle of Poitiers.
Thus this battle was discomfited, as ye
have heard, the which was in the fields of
Maupertuis a two leagues from Poitiers the
twenty-second day of September the year
of our Lord mccclvi. It begun in the
morning ^ and ended at noon, but as then
all the Englishmen were not returned from
the chase ; therefore the prince's banner
stood on a bush to draw all his men to-
gether, but it was nigh night or all came
from the chase. And as it was reported,
there was slain all the flower of France,
and there was taken with the king and the
lord Philip his son a seventeen earls, beside
barons, knights and squires, and slain a
five or six thousand of one and other.
1 ' Environ heure de prime.'
When every man was come firom the chase,
they had twice as many prisoners as they
were in number in all. Then it was coun-
selled among them because of the great
charge and doubt to keep so many, that
they should put many of them to ransom
incontinent in the field, and so they did :
and the prisoners found the Englishmen
and Gascons right courteous ; there were
many that day put to ransom and let go
all only on their promise of faith and truth
to return again between that and Christmas
to Bordeaux with their ransoms. Then
that night they lay in the field beside
whereas the battle had been : some un-
armed them, but not all, and unarmed all
their prisoners, and every man made good
cheer to his prisoner ; for that day whoso-
ever took any prisoner, he was clear his
and might quit or ransom him at his
pleasure. All such as were there with the
prince were all made rich with honour and
goods, as well by ransoming of prisoners as
by winning of gold, silver, plate, jewels,
that was there found: there was no man
that did set anything by rich harness,
whereof there was great plenty, for the
Frenchmen came thither richly beseen,
weening to have had the journey for them.
CHAPTER CLXVII
How the lord James Audley gave to his four
squires the five hundred marks of revenues
that the prince had given him.
When sir James Audley was brought to
his lodging, then he sent for sir Peter
Audley his brother and for the lord Bar-
tholomew of Burghersh, the lord Stephen
of Cosington, the lord of Willoughby and
the lord Ralph Ferrers, all these were of
his lineage, and then he called before him
his four squires, that had served him that
day well and truly. Then he said to the
said lords : * Sirs, it hath pleased my lord
the prince to give me five hundred marks
of revenues by year in heritage, for the
which gift I have done him but small
service with my body. Sirs, behold here
these four squires, who hath always served
me truly and specially this day : that
honour that I have is by their valiantness.
Wherefore I will reward them : I give and
BATTLE OF POITIERS
131
resigD inlo their hands the gift ihal my
lord the prince halh given me of five
hundred marks of yearly revenues, to them
and to Iheir heirs for ever, in like ma.
as il was given me. I clearly disheril
Iheieof and inherit them without any
repeal ' or condition.' The lords and other
that were there, every man beheld othei
and said among themselves: 'It cometh
of a great nobleness to give this gift.
They answered him with one "*
heil
s God will ; •*
shall b.
this behalf wheresoever we be come.' Then
they departed from him, and some of them
went to the prince, who the same night
woqld make a supper to the French king
and to the other prisoners, Ibr they had
then enough to do withal, of that thf
Frenchmen brought with them,* for thi
Englishmen wanted victual before, for somt
in Uiree days had no bread before.
CHAPTER CLXVin
king
Thb same day of the battle at night the
prince made a supper in his lodging to the
French king and to the most part of the
great lords that were prisoners. The prince
made the king and lus son, the lord James
of Bourbon, the lord John d'Artois, the
earl of Tancarvitle, the earl of Estampes,
the earl Dammanin, the earl of Joinville
and the lord of Partenay to sit all ot one
board, and other lords, knights and squires
at other tables ; and always the prince
served before the king as humbly as he
couJd, and would not sit at the king's board
for any desire that the king could make,
but he said he was oot sufficient to sit at
the table with so great a prince as the king
was. But then he said to the king ; ' Sir,
for God's sake make none evil nor heavy
cheer, though God this day did not consent
to follow your will ; for, sir, surely the king
my fitther shall bear you as much honour
and amity as he may do, and shall accord
> 'Rippel.' i.r. powccofncBilinit the gin. The
» ' Who n-at to rivt the king a
MfhuDwn provtsiDos; for the Ti
nl^ anan^ iIk English,' ilc.
ofFiBi
with you so reasonably thai ye shall ever
be friends tcgether after. And, sir, methink
ye ought to rejoice, thoi^h the journey be
not as ye would have had it, for this day
ye have won the high renown of prowess
and have passed this day in valiantness all
other of your party. Sir, I say not this to
mock you, for all that be ou our party, that
saw every man's deeds, are plainly accorded
by true sentence to give you the priie
and chaplet.' Therewith the Frenchmen
began to murmur and said among them-
selves how the prince had spoken nobly,
and that by al! estimation he should prove
a noble man, if God send him life and to
persevere in such good fortune.
CHAPTER CLXIX
How the prince returned to Bordaiuji
after the battle of Poitiers,
When sapper was done, every man went
to his lodging with their prisoners. The
same night they put many to ransom and
believed them on their faiths and troths,
and ransomed them but eaaly, for they said
they would set no knight's ransom so high,
but that he might pay at his ease and main-
tain still his degree. The next day, when
they had heard mass and taken some repast
and that eveiything was trussed and ready,
then they took their horses and rode towards
Poitiers. The same night there was come
to Poitiers the lord of Roye with a himdred
spears : he was not at the battle, but he met
the dnke of Normandy near to Chauvigny,
and the duke sent him to Poitiers to keep
the town till they heard other tidings.
WhenthelordofRoyeknewthattheEnglish-
men were so near coming to the city, he
caused every man to be armed and every
man to go to his defence to the walls,
towers and gales ; and the Englishmen
passed by without any approaching, for
they were so laded with gold, silver and
prisoners, that in their returning they
assaulted no fortress ; they thought it a
great deed if they might bring the French
king, with their other prisoners and riches
that they had won, in safeguard to Bordeaux.
They rode but small journeys because of
their prisoners and great carri^es that they
had : Ihey rode in a day no more but four
1
132
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
or five leagues and lodged ever betimes,
and rode close together in good array saving
the marshals' battles, who rode ever before
with five hundred men of arms to open the
passages as the prince should pass ; but they
found no encounterers, for all the country
was so frayed that every man drew to the
fortresses.
As the prince rode, it was shewed him
how the lord Audley had given to his four
squires the gift of the five hundred marks
that he had given unto him : then the
prince sent for him and he was brought in
his litter to the prince, who received him
courteously and said : * Sir James, we have
knowledge that the revenues that we gave
you, as soon as ye came to your lodging,
you gave the same to four squires : we
would know why ye did so, and whether
the gift was agreeable to you or not.* * Sir,*
said the knight, * it is of truth I have given
it to them, and I shall shew you why I did
so. These four squires that be here present
have a long season served mfe well and truly
in many great businesses, and, sir, in this
last battle they served me in such wise that
an they had never done nothing else, I was
bound to reward them, and before the same
day they had never nothing of me in reward.
Sir, I am but a man alone ; but by the aid
and comfort of them I took on me to ac-
complish my vow long before made. I had
been dead in the battle an they had not
been : wherefore, sir, when I considered
the love that they bare unto me, I had not
been courteous if I would not a rewarded
them. I thank God I have had and shall
have enough as long as I live : I will never
be abashed for lack of good. Sir, if I have
done this without your pleasure, I require
you to pardon me, for, sir, both I and my
squires shall serve you as well as ever we
did. ' Then the prince said : * Sir James,
for anything that ye have done I cannot
blame you, but can you good thank there-
for ; and for the valiantness of these
squires, whom ye praise so much, I accord
to them your gift, and I will render again
to you six hundred marks in like manner
as ye had the other.*
Thus the prince and his company did so
much that they passed through Poitou and
Saintonge without damage and came to
Blaye, and there passed the river of Gironde
and arrived in the good city of Bordeaux.
It cannot be recorded the great feast and
cheer that they of the city with the clergy
made to the prince, and how honourably
they were there received. The prince
brought the French king into the abbey of
Saint Andrew's, and there they lodged both,
the king in one part and the prince in the
other. The prmce bought of the lords,
knights and squires of Gascoyne the most
part of the earls of the realm of France,
such as were prisoners, and paid ready
money for them. There was divers
questions and challenges made between the
knights and squires of Gascoyne for taking
of the French king ; howbeit Denis Mor-
beke by right of arms and by true tokens
that he shewed challenged him for his
prisoner. Another squire of Gascoyne
called Bernard of Truttes said how he had
right to him : there was much ado and
many words before the prince and other
lords that were there, and because these
two challenged each other to fight in that
quarrel, the prince caused the matter to
rest till they came in England and that no
declaration should be made but afore the
king of England his father ; but because
the French king himself aided to sustain
the challenge of Denis Morbeke, for he
inclined more to him than to any other,
the prince therefore privily caused to be
delivered to the said sir Denis two thousand
nobles to maintain withal his estate.
Anon after the prince came to Bordeaux, the
cardinal of Perigord came thither, who was
sent from the pope in legation, as it was said.
He was there more than fifteen days or the
prince would speak with him because of the
chatelain of Amposte and his men, who
were against him in the battle of Poitiers.
The prince believed that the cardinal sent
them thither, but the cardinal did so much by
the means of the lord of Caumont, the lord of
Montferrand and the captal of Buch, who
were his cousins, they shewed so good
reasons to the prince, that he was content
to hear him speak. And when he was
before the prince, he excused himself so
sagely that the prince and his council held
him excused, and so he fell again into the
prince's love and redeemed out his men by
reasonable ransoms ; and the chatelain was
set to his ransom of ten thousand franks,
the which he paid after. Then the cardinal
began to treat on the deliverance of the
GOVERNMENT BY THE THREE ESTATES
French king, bnl I pass it briefly because
Qotbing was done. Thus the prir
Gascons and Englishmen tamed
Bordeaui till it was Lent in great mirth
and revel, and spent foolishly the gold and
silver that they had won. In England also
there was great joy when they heard tidings
of the battle of Poitiers, of the discomfiting
of the Frenchmen and taking of the king :
great solemnities were made in all churches
and great fires and wakes througho
England. The knights and sqiu "
as were came home bam that
-| were much made of and praised i
CHAPTER CLXX
The same season Ihat the battle of Poitiers
was, the duke of Lancaster was in
comity of Evreux and on the marches of
Colentin, and with him the loril Philip of
Navane and the lord Godfrey of Harcourt.
They made war in Normandy and had done
all that season in the title of the king of
Navarre, whom the French king held in
prison. These lords did all that they might
to have been at the journey of Poitiers with
Ihe prince, but they could not, for alt the
passages on the river of Loire were so weli
kept that Ihey might not pass ; but when
they heard how the prince had taken the
French king at the battle of Poiliets, they
were glad and brake up their journey,
because Ihe duke of Lancaster and sir
Philip of Navarre would go into England,
and so they did ; and they sent sir Godfrey
of Harcourt to Saint -Saviour's-le-Viconte
to keep there frontier war.^
Now let us speak of the French king's
tfiree sons, Charles, Louis and John, who
were returned from the besynes at Poitiers.
They were right yonng of age and of
counsel ; in them was but small recovery,
nor there was none of them that would take
on him the governance of the realm of
France. Also the lords, knights and squires,
such as fled from the battle, were so hated
and blamed of the commons of the realm,
that BC
being in France, bishops, abbots, nnd all
other noble lords and knights, and the
provost of the merchants, the burgesses of
Paris, and the counsels of other good towns,
they all assembled at Paris, and there they
would ordain how the realm should he
governed till the king were delivered out of
prison. Also they would know furthermore
what was become of the great treasure that
had been levied in the realm by dimes,
maltotes, subsidies, foipng of moneys, and
in all other extortions, whereby the people
hath been overlaid and troubled, and the
soldiers evil paid, and the realm evil kept
and defended : but of all tbis there were none
lid give account Then they agreed
that the prelates should choose out twelve
persons among them, who should have
ower by them and Ire all th 1 gy t
rdain and to advise all th gs bl
) be done ; and the Id d k gh t
choose other twelve an g h t th
most sagest and discreet pe t d
termine all eauses; a d th 1 ges es t
cboose other twelve fo th mm th
which six and thirty pers h Id fl n
t Paris :
li h
ind ordain for all
^very matter to be br gh t '
o these three estates all th
lords and commons sho Id bey
So these persons w h se
the beginning th re w
this election that the d k
f th ealm and
f N r
these three estates d f d d im
forging of money : also they required the
duke of Normandy that he would arrest the
chancellor of the king his father, Ihe lord
Robert of Lorris, and the lord Simon of
Bucy, and divers other masters of the counts
and other councillors of the king's, to the
that they might make a true account
of that they had taken and levied in the
ilm and by their counsels. When these
sters and councillors heard of this matter,
Ihey departed out of the realm into other
- — 'es, to abide there till Ihey heard
J
134
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
CHAPTERS CLXXI, CLXXII
SUMMARY. — The three estates received
all taxes and coined new gold money called
* moutons. * They desired the duke of Nor-
mandy to set free the king of Navarre^ but
he would not. Then, seeing that Godfrey de
Harcourt made war in Nortnandy^ they sent
a body of m^n to Coutances, where he was
defeated and slain.
CHAPTER CLXXni
How the prince conveyed the French king
from Bordeaux into England.
After the death of this knight sir Godfrey
of Harcourt, the Frenchmen returned to
Coutances with their prisoners and pillage,
and anon after they went into France to
the duke of Normandy, who as then was
called regent of France, and to the three
estates, who received them right honour-
ably. So from thenceforth Saint- Saviour-
le-Viconte was English and all the lands
pertaining to sir Godfrey of Harcourt, for
he had sold it to the king of England after
his decease and disherited the lord Louis
of Harcourt his nephew, because he would
not take his part. As soon as the king of
England heard tidings of the death of the
lord Godfrey of Harcourt, he was sorry
thereof: then he sent incontinent men of
arms, knights, squires and archers more
than three hundred by sea to go and take
possession for him of Saint -Saviour -le-
Viconte, the which was worth thirty
thousand franks by year, and made captain
of those lands the lord John Lisle. The
three estates all that season studied on the
ordinance of the realm of France, and it
was all governed by them.
The same winter the prince of Wales
and such of England as were with him at
l^ordeaux ordained for ships to convey the
French king and his son and all other
prisoners into England. And when the
time of his departure approached, then he
commanded the lord d'Albret, the lord of
Mussidan, the lord de Lesparre, the lord of
Pommiers and the lord of Rauzan to keep
the country there till his return again.
Then he took the sea, and certain lords of
Gascoyne with him. The French king was
in a vessel by himself, to be the more at his
ease, accompanied with two hundred men
of arms and two thousand archers ; for it
was shewed the prince that the three estates
by whom the realm of France was governed
had laid in Normandy and Crotoy two
great armies, to the intent to meet with him
and to get the French king out of his hands,
if they might ; but there were no such that
appeared, and yet they were on the sea
eleven days, and on the twelfth day they
arrived at Sandwich. Then they issued out
of their ship and lay there all that night
and tarried there two days to refresh them,
and on the third day they rode to Canter-
bury. When the king of England knew of
their coming, he commanded them of
London to prepare them and their city to
receive such a man as the French king was.
Then they o/ London arrayed themselves
by companies and the chief mesters [with]
clothing different [each] from the other.
At Saint Thomas of Canterbury the French
king and the prince made their offerings
and there tarried a day, and then rode to
Rochester and tarried there that day, and
the next day to Dartford and the fourth
day to London, where they were honour-
ably received, and so they were in every
good town as they passed. The French
king rode through London on a white
courser well apparelled, and the prince on
a little black hobby by him. Thus he was
conveyed along the city, till he came to the
Savoy, the which house pertained to the
heritage of the duke of Lancaster. There
the French king kept his house a long
season, and thither came to see him the
king and the queen oftentimes and made
him great feast and cheer. Anon after by
the commandment of pope Innocent the
sixth there came into England the lord
Talleyrand, cardinal of Perigord, and the lord
Nicholas, cardinal of Urgel ; they treated for
a peace between the two kings, but they
could bring nothing to effect, but at last by
good means they procured a truce between
the two kings and all their assisters, to
endure till the feast of Saint John the
Baptist in the year of our Lord God
MCCCLix. ; and out of this truce was
excepted the lord Philip of Navarre and his
allies, the countess of Montfort and the
duchy of Bretayne. Anon after the French
DISTURBANCES IN PARIS, 1357
135
king was removed from the Savoy 10 the
cnstle of Windsor, and all his household,
and weni n-hunting and a-hawking there-
about at hi3 pleasuie, and the loid Philip
hia son with him : and all the other prisoners
abode still at London and went to see the
king at their ]j1easure and were received all
only on their faiths.
CHAPTERS CLXXIV-CLXXVIII
SUMMARy.—Tkskingef Sc^laBd, wha
had lieen a prisoner in England tncri Shan
nine years, was delivered by treaty.
The duke of Ljuicaster raised an army to
aid the eeuntess ef Montfart in May 1357,
and laid sies' to Rennes. During this
siege a young bachelor named Bertrand du
Gueselia fought with sir Nicholas Dag-
ittorlh an Et^ishman.
Sir William de Gaaville lOon back the
castle ef K-Breuxfor the king tf Narsarre.
At this time there luas a company of
armed men in Pnmence led by Arnold de
CerooUts, called the archpriest, v/ith whom
the pope and cardinals fell in treaty for
fear that Avignon should he Plundered ;
another liettaeen the Loire ana Seine had
one Huffin (Griffith) for their cB^ain ; and
in Narmatidy there a*u a compatqi of En,^-
. - Jiih and JVavarrois under sir Robert
^^tulUs.
CHArTER CLXXtX
In this season that the thi
ruled, there rose in divers
manner of people calling themselves com-
panions, and they made war to every man.
The noblemen of the realm of France and
the prelates of holy Church began to wax
weary of the rale and ordinance of the
three estates, and so gave up their rale and
suffered the provost of the merchants to
meddle with some of the burgesses of Paris,
because they meddled farther than they
were pieced withal.' So on a day the
1 'So thty nAerEd the provost of llie merdiants
and samt of the liurgcsfiF^ of Paris to deal oa they
would. bccauM they (ihe ihtee eslales) meddlnL
ra;ent of France was in the palace of Paris
with many noblemen and prelates with
him. The provost then assembled a great
number of the commons of Paris, such as
were of his opinion, and all they ware bats
of one colour, to the iolent to be known.
The provost came to the palace with his
men about him and entered into the duke's
chamber, and there eagerly he desired him
that he would take on him the meddling of
the business of the realm of France, that
such companions as goeth about the realm
wasting, robbing aod pilling the same
might be subdued. The duke answered
how he would gladly intend thereto, if he
had wherewith, and said they that receive
the profit and the rights pertaining to the
realm ought to do it, if it be done or not I
report me.^ So they multiplied such words
between them that three « the greatest of
the duke's coundl were there slain so near
him, that his clothes were all bloody with
their blood and he himself in great peril ;
but there was set one of their hats on his head
and he was fain there to pardon the death
of his three knights, two of arms and the
third of the law, the one called the lord
Robert of Clermont, a right noble man,
another the lord of Cooflans, and the
knight of the law the lord .Simon of Bucy.
CHAPTER CLXXX
How the king of Navarre came out of prison.
Aftbr this foresaid advenlure certain
knights, as the lord John of Picquigny and
other, nnder the comfort of the provost of
Paris and of other councillors of the good
towns, came to the strong castle of Arleux
in Palluel, in Picardy, where the king of
Navarre was in prison under the keeping of
'Mail
iappaUm
maia fea [Hralci inoultiplybreDt li
cjDngiEi^ ID the realm oneht
136
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
the lord Tristram du Bos. They brought to
them that kept the castle such tokens that
they had the king of Navarre dehvered into
their hands, for the captain was not as then
there ; and they brought him with great joy
into the city of Amiens, where he was weU
received, and lighted at a canon's house,
who loved him entirely, called Guy Quieret :
and the king tarried there a fifteen days
till he had so provided for himself that he
was assured of the duke of Normandy, then
regent of France : for the provost of the
merchants of Paris had gotten him his
peace of the duke and of them of Paris.
And then the king of Navarre was brought
to Paris by the lord John of Picquigny and
by other burgesses of Amiens, whereas
every man was glad to see him and the
duke made him great feast and cheer ; for
it behoved him so to do, for the provost
and his sect exhorted him thereto : there-
fore the duke dissembled for the pleasure
of the provost and other of Paris.
CHAPTER CLXXXI
How the king of Navarre preached solemnly
in Paris.
When the king of Navarre had been a
certain time in Paris, on a day he assembled
together prelates, knights and clerks of the
university and there he shewed openly
among them in Latin in the presence of the
duke of Normandy his complaint and griefs,
and violence done to him wrongfully with-
out right or reason, and said how there was
none that ought to doubt in him, but that
he would live and die in the defence of the
realm of France and the crown thereof, as
he was bound to do : for he was extraught
of father and mother of the right line of
France, and said, if he would challenge the
realm and crown of France, he could shew
by right how he was more nearer thereto
than the king of England. His sermon
and language was so pleasant that he was
greatly praised, and so little and little he
entered into the favour of them of Paris, so
that he was better beloved there than the
regent the duke of Normandy, and also
with divers other cities in the realm of
France. But whatsoever semblant the
provost and they of Paris made to the king
of Navarre, for all that the lord Philip of
Navarre would never trust them, nor would
not come to Paris, for he always said that in
a commonalty there was never no certainty,
but finally shame, rebuke and dishonour.
CHAPTER CLXXXII
Of the beginning of the rising of
the commons called Jaquery, in Beauvoisin.
Anon after the deliverance of the king of
Navarre there began a marvellous tribula-
tion in the realm of France, as in Beau-
voisin, in Brie, on the river of Mame,
in Laonnois, and about Soissons. For
certain people of the common villages,
without any head or ruler, assembled to-
gether in Beauvoisin. In the b^^ning
they passed not a hundred in number :
they said how the noblemen of the realm
of France, knights and squires, shamed the
realm, and that it should be a great wealth
to destroy them all ; and each of them said
it was true, and said all with one voice :
* Shame have he that doth not his power to
destroy all the gentlemen of the r^m ! *
Thus they gathered together without any
other counsel, and without any armour
saving with staves and knives, and so went to
the house of a knight dwelling thereby, and
brake up his house and slew the knight and
the lady and all his children great and
small and brent his house. And then they
went to another castle, and took the knight
thereof and bound him fast to a stake, and
then violated his wife and his daughter before
his face and then slew the lady and his
daughter and all his other children, and
then slew the knight by great torment and
brent and beat down the castle. And so
they did to divers other castles and good
houses ; and they multiplied so that they
were a six thousand, and ever as they went
forward they increased, for such like as
they were fell ever to them, so that every
gentleman fled from them and took their
wives and children with them, and fled ten
or twenty leagues ofl" to be in surety, and
left their houses void and their goods
therein.
These mischievous people thus assembled
without captain or armour robbed, brent
and slew all gentlemen that they could lay
THE JACQUERIE, 1357
137
bands on, and forced and ravished ladies
and damosels, and did such shameful deeds
Ihal no human creature oughl to think on
any such, and he that did mwit mi^hief
was most praised with theni and greatest
master. I dare not write the horrible
deeds that they did to ladies and damosels :
among other they slew a knight and after
did put him on a bn>ach and roasted liim at
the fire in the sight of the lady his wife and
his children ; and after the lady had been
enforced and ravished with a ten or twelve,
they made ber perforce to eat of her husband
and after made her to die an evil death and
all her children. They made among them
a l^ng, one of Clermont in Beauvoisin :
they chose him that was the most nn-
graciousesE of all other and they called him
king Jaques Goodman, and 50 thereby they
were called companions of the Jaquetj.
They destroyed and brent in the country of
Beauvoisin about Corbie, Amiens and Mont-
didier more than threescore good houses
and strong castles. In like manner these
unhappy people were in Brie and Artois,
so that all the ladies, knights and squires of
that country were fain to fly away to Meaux
ill Urie, as well the duchess of Normandy
and the diiches? of Orleans as divers other
ladies and daniosels. or else they hod been
violated and after nmidered. Also there
wtre a certain of the same ungracious people
between Paris and Noyon and between Paris
and Soissons, and all about in the land of
Coucy, in the county of Valois, in ibe
bishopric of Laon,' Noyon and Soissons.
There were brent and destroyed more than
a hundred castles and g(>3d houses of
knights and squires in that country.
CHAPTER CLXXXIII
Paris.
When the gentlemen of Beauvoisin, of
Corbiois, of Vermandois and of other lands,
whereas these mischievous people were
conversant, saw the woodness among them,
they sent for succours to their friends into
1 The tnuulaior, nanly foUowiTig a comipl Kxr,
■bjtwe— "—-^ -■ ' — ■ ■r'-- --
Flanders, to Bral>an1, to Hainault and to
Hesbaye. .So there came from all parts ;
and so all these gentlemen strangers with
them of the country assembled together and
did set on these people where mey might
find them, and slew and hanged them upon
trees by heaps. The king of Navarre on a
day slew of them more than three thousand
beside Clermont in Beauvoisin. It was
time to take them up, for an they had been
all together assembled, they were more than
a hundred thousand ; and when they were
demanded why they did so evil deeds, they
would answer and say they could not tell,
but that they did as they saw other do,
thinking thereby to have destroyed all the
nobles and gentlemen of the world.
In the same season theduke of Normandy
departed from Paris and was in doubt of the
king of Navarre and of the provost of the
merchants and of his sect, for they were
all of one accord. He rode lo the bridge
of Charenton on the river of Marne, and
there he made a great summons of gentle-
men and then defied the provost of the
merchants and all his aiders. Then the
provost was in doubt of him, that be would
in the night-time come and overrun the
city of Paris, the which as then was not
closed. Then he set workmen a-work as
many as he could get, and made great dikes
all about Paris and began walls and gates :
he had the space of one whole year a three
hundred workmen continually working.
It was a great rleed to furnish an arm and
to close with defence such a city as Paris :
surely it was the best deed that ever any
provost did there, for else it had been after
divers times overrun and robbed by divers
CHAPTER CLXXXIV
Of the battle al Meaus in Brie, where the
companions of the Jaqucry were discom-
fited bj the earl of Foil and the capiat of
Buch.
In the season while these ungracious people
reigned, there came out of Pruce the carl
of Foix and the captal of Buch his cousin,
am! in their way they heard, as they should
have entered into France, of the great mis-
chief that fell among the noblemen by these
I40
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
expired. War was carried on in Cham-
pagne by sir Eustace d* Aubrecicourt for the
English, who was defeated and taken
prisoner y 2'^rd June, at Nogent-sur-Seine.
He was afterwards ransomed by the English
garrisons of Champagne and became their
captain.
The brigands thai held fortresses in France
began marvellously to decline,
A treaty of pecue agreed to in London by
the kings of France and England was
rejected by the duke of Normandy and the
estates. The king of England prepared to
invade France.
Sir Robert Knolles rode through Berry
and Auvergne towards Avignon, pursued
by the earl of Forez with a large force, but
he escaped them and went into Limousin,
CHAPTERS CCV-CCXIV
SUMMARY,— Certain knights of the
Empire came to join the king of England
at Calais and rode into France with the
duke of Lancaster, who came before the
king. At All Saints they returned and
met the English host marching in fine
array, with the king and the prince of
Wales. The king rode through Artois and
Picardy, and so to Rheims, where he laid a
siege. The king of Navarre quarrelled
with the duke of Normandy and made war
upon him. At length the king of England
left the siege of Rheims, and going into
Burgundy lay at Guillon till after mid-
Lent. He then made a composition with
the duke of Burgundy and retired towards
Paris, encamping at Bourg-la- Reine,
The duke of Normandy refused battle,
and the king retired towards Chartres,
On the way negotiations were carried on for
peace, and cU length terms were arranged
at Britigny near Chartres.^ On payment
of 600,000 franks and delivery of hostages the
French king was released, and then went on
foot in pilgrimage from Calais to Boulogne
in company ivith the prince of Wales and
his two brothers, Lionel and Edmund, De-
livery was made of the ceded provinces and
the king of England ordered his garrisons
to leave their holds. These garrisons
''^'* documents connected with the peace of
ve given very incompletely and con-
^ text which the translator followed.
formed companies to plunder the country
and the lord JcLcqu^s of Bourbon was sent
against them. The companies drew to-
gether and marched towards Lyons,
CHAPTER CCXV
How the lord James of Bourbon and his
company were discomfited by the com-
panions, and how the pope made to be
cried a croisey, after these companions had
taken the Bridge Saint-Esprit, and of the
answer that they made.
The men of war thus assembled with the
lord of Bourbon being at Lyons under-
stood that the rout of the companions
approached fast towards them, and had
won the town and castle of Brignais and
divers other holds, and how they sore
wasted and exiled the country. These
tidings greatly displeased the lord of Bour-
bon, because he had the governing of the
earl of Forez' land and of his son's his
nephew's.^ Then they went into the field
and saw well how they were a great
number of men of arms, knights and
squires, and so they sent out their currours
to know what their enemies did and where
they were and where they should be found.
Now shall I shew you the great malice of
these companions, who were lodged on a
mountain, and there they had such a place
that they could not be descried nor
aviewed, and specially the chief of them,
who were best harnessed, for the residue,
who were worst harnessed, arranged along
on the hill-side and suffered the French
currours to approach near to them and to
return £^ain without any damage to the
lord James of Bourbon, the earl d'Uz^s,
sir Raynold of Forez and to the other
French company, to whom they reported
as they had seen and said : * Sirs, we have
seen yonder company your enemies and to
our powers well advised them, and all
things seen and considered, to our estima-
tion they pass not a five or six thousand
persons and marvellously evil harnessed.
And when the lord of Bourbon heard that
report, he said to the archpriest : * Sir, ye
have told me or this that they were to the
1 Froissart says, ' because he had the governance
of the county of Forez, his nephews* land.'
ATTLE OF BRIGNAIS, 1361
number of sixteen thousand lighting men,
and now ye hear all contrary.' 'Sir,'
quoth he, 'I thoughl ihem never undei:
the said sum, and if they be not, God be
thanked ; il is the better far as. There-
fore now take heed what ye will do.' 'In
the name of God,' quoth the lord of Bour-
bon, ' we will go and light with them ' : and
there he ordered his battles and set them
in good array ready to light, for he might
see his enemies hefore him ; and there he
made certain new knights, first his own
eideet son Peter, and he raised his banner,
and also his nephew the young earl of
Forez, (he lord of Toumon, the lord of
Montelimat and the lord Groslfe of
Dauphin^ ; and there were also the lord
Louis [and] sir Robert of Beaujeu, sir
Louis of Chalon, sir Hugh of Vieime, the
earl d'Uiis and divers other good knights
and squires, all desiring to advance their
honours and to overthrow these com-
panions that thus pilled the country with-
out any title of reason : and there it was
ordained that the archpriest, sir Arnold of
CervoUes, should govern the first battle, for
he was a good and expert knight, and be
had in that battle sixteen hundred lighting
men. These routs of companions that were
on the mountain saw right well the order-
ing of the Frenchmen, but ^hey could not
so well see them nor their guiding, nor
approach well to them but to their great
danger or damage ; for these companions
had in this mountain a thousand cartload
of great stones, which was greatly to their
advantage and profit. These Frenchmen
that so sore desired to light with their
enemies, howsoever Ihey (Ud, they could
not come to them the next way ; therefore
Ihey were driven of necessity to coast
about the mountain, where their enemies
were : and when they came on that side,
then they, who had great provision of stones,
Ijegan lo cast so sore down the hill on them
that did approach, that they beat down,
hurt and maimed a great number, in such
wise that they might nor durst not pass nor
approach any nearer lo them : and so that
first battle was so sore beaten and defoiled,
[hat of all day after they did but little aid.
Then lo their succour approached the
other kittles with sir James of Bourbon,
his son and his nephews, with their banners
and a great number of good men of war.
and all went to be lost ; the which was
great damage and pity, that they had not
wrought by better advice and counsel than
they aid. The archpriest and divers other
knights that were there had said before
that it had been best to have suffered their
enemies lo have dislodged out of the hold
that they were in, and then to have fought
with them at more ease ; but they could
not be heard.
Thus, as the lord James of Bourbon and
the other lords with their banners and
pennons before them approached and
coasted the said . - .<
armed of the camp
uaUy SI
such V
e that
the hardiest of them
and thus, as they held thei
a great space, the great fresh battle of
these companions found a way and came
about the mountain welt ranged and had
cut their spears of six foot of length, and
so came crying with one voice and brake
in among the Frenchmen. So at the first
meeting they overthrew many to the earth :
there were sore strokes 00 both parts, and
these companions fought so ardently that
it was marvel, and caused the Frenchmen
to recule back : and there the archpriest
like a good knight fought valiantly, but he
was taken prisoner 1^ force of arms and
sore hurt, and divers other knights and
squires of his company. Whereto should
I make longer rehearsal of this matter?
In effect the Frenchmen had the worse ;
and the lord James of Boiu-bon was sore
hurt, and sir Peter his son, and there was
slain the young earl of Forez, and taken
sir Raynold of Korez his uncle, the earl
d'Uiis, sir Robert of Beaujeu, sir Louis of
Chalon, and more than a hundred knights,
and with much pain the lord of Bourbon
and his son Peter were borne into the city
of Lyons, This battle was about the year
of our Lord God a thousand three hundred
threescore and one, the Friday after Eastei-
Greatly were they of the country
abashed, when they heard that their
people were discomfited, and there was
none so hardy, nor so strong a castle, but
trembled for fear ; for the wise and dis-
creet men supposed and imagined that
great mischief should multiply thereby,
nithout God put to some remedy. And
I
142
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
they of Lyons were greatly abashed when
they knew that the companions had the
victory ; howbeit they received sweetly all
them that returned and scaped from the
battle, and were sore displeased for the
hurts of the lord of Bourbon and of sir
Peter his son, and they of the town, ladies
and damosels, right goodly did visit him ;
but this lord James of Bourbon died a
three days after the field and sir Peter his
son lived not long after, and they were
sore bewailed of every creature; and for
the death of this lord of Bourbon the
French king was right sore displeased, but
he could not amend it, so it behoved him
to pass over his sorrow as well as he might.
Now let us speak of these companions,
who persevered still in their evil deeds as
people rejoiced and comforted of their
deeds, as well for winning of that journey
as for the ransoming of many good
prisoners : so thus these companions led
their time at their pleasure in that country,
for there were none that came against
them ; for incontinent after the discom-
fiture of Brignais they entered and spread
abroad in the county of Forez and pilled
and wasted all the country except the fort-
resses, and because they were so great a
company, almost nothing held against
them : and so they divided them into two
parts, and sir Seguin of Badefol had the
less part ; howbeit he had in his compaiiy
a three thousand fighting men, and he
went and lay at Anse, a mile firom Lyons,*
and fortified the place marvellously, and
so his company were thereabout in the
marches, the which was one of the plentifiil
countries of the world, the which they
overran, and ransomed the people at their
pleasure, that is to say, all the countries on
this side and beyond the river of Saone,
the county of Macon, the archbishopric of
Lyons and the land of the lord of Beaujeu
and all the country to Marcigny-les-
Nonnains and to the county of Nevers.
The other part of the same company, as
Naudan de Bageran, Espiote, Creswey,'-^
Robert Briquet, Ortingo [and] Bemardet
de la Salle, I'Amit, the bourg Camus, the
bourg of Breteuil, the bourg of Lesparre,
and divers other of one sort and affinity,
1 * A line lieue de Lyon,' but the distance is really
t lenguct.
■i^thinan John Creswey (or Creswell).
drew them toward Avignon, and said how
they would see the pope and cardinals and
to have some of their money, or else to
harry and to pill the country, and so they
tarried here and there abiding for the
ransom of such prisoners as they had
taken, and also to see if the truce held
between France and England ; and as
they went toward Avignon, they took by
the way towns and fortresses, so that none
held against them, for all the country was
afraid ; and also in that country they had used
no war, so that such as were in these small
holds wist not how to defend themselves
from such men of war. And these com-
panions heard how there was at the Bridge
Saint-Esprit,* a seven leagues from Avig-
non, great treasure and riches of the
country assembled there together on trust
of the strong fortress ; and so the com-
panions advised among them that if they
might win that hold, it should be greatly
to their advantage and profit, for then they
thought to be masters of Rhone and of
them in Avignon. And on this purpose
they studied, till at last they had cast &eir
advice, as I have heard reported, in this
manner. Guyot du Pin and the little
Meschin rode with their company in one
night a fifteen leagues, and in the morning
at the breakiiijg of the day they came to
the town of the Bridge Saint -Spirit and
suddenly took it and all that were within,
the which was great pity, for there they
slew many an honest person and defoiled
many a damosels and won such riches that
it could not be numbered and great pur-
veyances to live thereby a whole year : and
so by that means they might run at their
ease without danger, one season into the
realm of France and another time into the
Empire. So there assembled together all
the companions and every day ran to the
gates of Avignon, whereby the pope and
cardinals were in great afiray and dread.
And so those companions made there a
sovereign captain among them, who was
ever most commonly enemy to God and to
the world.*
Beside these there were in France great
1 Pont-Saint-Esprit, a town on the right bank of
the Rhone.
2 Froissart says, ' who caused himself to be
cominonlv called : Friend to God and enemy to all
the world."
number of pilleis
Englishmen, Gascons and Almains, who
said they must needs live ; ant! they held
still ceitain garrisons a.nd fbrtiesses, tbr
all thai the king of England's dei
cnmmanded them to avoid and
howbeit they would not all obey,
with the French king was sore displeased,
and all bis council. But when these com-
panions in (livers places heard how these
other companions had overthrown the lord
o( Bourbon and a (wo thousand knighls
and squires, and taken many a good
prisoner, and also had taken in the town
Saint - Espri! so great riches that it was
a thing incomparable, and thinking how
Ihey were likely to win Avignon or else
lo put to mercy the pope and cardinals
and all the country of Provence, then Ihey
thought all lo depart and go thither for
« that di>
Ihem left up their fortresses and went to their
companions, in hope to get more pillage.
And when that pope Innocent the sixth
uid the college of Rome saw how Ihey
were vexed by these cursed people, they
were greatly abashed and then ordained a
criMsey ^pinat these evil Christian people,
who did their pain lo destroy Chrislen-
dom, as other bands had done before,'
without title of any reason ; for Ihey
wosled all the counlry without any cause,
and robbed without sparing all that ever
ihey could get, and violated and defoiled
women, old and young, without pity, and
slew men, women and children without
mercy, doing to ihem no Irespass;' and
such as did moat shamefullest deeds were
reputed with Ihem most valiant So then
the pope and the cardinals preached
openly this croisey and assojted aptnaet
lulpa all those that would take on them
this croisey and that would abandon their
bodies willingly to destroy these evil
people and their companions; and there
was chosen among the cardinals sir Peter of
Moustier, cardinJ of Arras, called Oslin,'
lo be chief captain of the croisey, and
inconlineni he departed out of Avignon,
and went and tarried at Carpenlras, a
seven mite from Av^on, and (here he
ri!lained all manner of soldiers, such as
' 'WhohaddDMihemnn Ml,' a ■ Dit j'Osiit.'
would save their souls in attaining to these
said pardons, but they should tmve none
other wages ; wherefore Ihat journey brake,
for every man deported, some into Lom-
bordy, some to Iheir own countries, and
some went to the said evil company, so that
ijaily they increased. So thus they har-
ried the pope, the cardinals and ihe mer-
chants alxiul Avignon and did much evil,
till it was far into the summer season in
the year of our Lord Gad a thousand three
hundred threescore and one.
Then the pope and the cardinals advised
them of a noble gentle knight and a good
warrior, the marquis of Monlferrat, who
kept war and bad done a long space
against the lords of Milan. The pope sent
for him, and so he came lo Avignon and
was honourably received of the pope and
cardinals, and so a treaty was made wilh
him by reason of a sum of money that he
should have, to the inlent that he should
of that country the said evil com-
1 then
of Lombardy. So then Ihe
marquis treated with the captains of the
companions, and by reason of threescore
thousand florins that they should have
among them and great wages that the
marquis should give them, they agreed to
dppart and go wilh him into Lombardy,
so thej' njight be assoiled a pena it culpa.
All this was agreed, accomplished, and the
florins paid ; and then they rendered up
Ihe town Saint-Esprit and left the march
of Avignon and passed forth with Ihe
marqais, whereof king John of France and
all the realm were right joyous, when they
saw how they were delivered of these evil
people. Howbeit there were many that
relumed to Burgoyne, and sir Seguin of
Badefol departed not out of the garrison
of Anse, for he would not leave it for no
manner of entreaty nor promise ; but the
reaJra of France was in far belter rest and
peace Ihan it was before. So when the
most part of the companions were thus
passed forth with the marquis mto the land
of Piedmont, there the marquis did well
his devoir ngainst the lords of Milan and
conquered divers towns, castles, fortresst
and countries against them, and had divei
encounlciings and skirmishes with Ihem
lo his honour and profit, so Ihat wilhin a
year by the help of these companions he
I
144
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
had the better hand, and in part had all
his intent against the two lords of Milan,
of sir Galeas and sir Bernabo, who after
reigned in great prosperity.
Sb it fortuned that sir Seguin of Badefol,
who was all that season in the garrison
of Anse on the river of Saone, 'took by
scaling a good city in Auvergne called
Brioude, and therein he tarried more than
a year and fortified it in such wise that
he doubted nothing, and overran the
country to Clermont, to Chilhac, to Puy,
to Chaise-Dieu, to Montferrant, to Riom,
to Nonnette, to Issoire, and to Vodables
and the land of the count Dolphin,^ the
lord whereof was the same time in hostage
in England, and in these countries he and
his company did much evil ; and when he
had sore impoverished the country there-
about, then by treaty he departed and
took with him great pillage and treasure
and so went to Gascoyne, from whence
he came first. Of this sir Seguin I can
write no more, but that, as I heard re-
counted, he died marvellously : God for-
give him all his trespasses. Amen.
CHAPTERS CCXVI-CCXIX
SUMMARY.^Henry duke of Lancaster
dieJy and the lord John y son of the king of
England y became duke in right of his wife.
The pope Innocent VI. died and was suc-
ceeded by Urban Fi The prince of Wales
took the government of Acquitaine, The
king of Cyprus went throatgk the Empire
and then to England to get help for a crusade
against the infidels. He returned through
France and so to Acquitaine,
King John of France came to London^
where he fell sick and died.
The duke of Normandy sent the marshal
Bouciquauttojoin sir Bert rand du Guesclin ,
aipstinst the king of Xavarre, They ti\»k
Xantcs and Mculan by stratagem. The
catial of Buck became commander of the \
Xai\:rrc:s,
1 Tlie comte dauphin d' Auvergne.
CHAPTER CCXX
Here beginneth the feats of war done in the
time of kmg Charles the V. , wha:'eof the
beginning speaketh of the obsequy of king
John and how the young king Charles was
honourably crowned at Rheims, and of the
great expenses that was done there ; and
of the beginning of the battle of CochereL
Thus, as ye have heard before, the kii^ of
Cypre returned into France and came to
Paris to the duke of Normandy, and th«e
was the duke's brethren, the duke of Anjoa
and the lord Philip, who was after duke of
Burgoyne, and all they tarried for the body
of the king their father, the which was
coming out of England ; and the king of
Cypre holp them to complain the death of
the king and was marvellously displeased
therewith, because of the hindering of his
viage of the croisey, and so he clothed him-
self with the vesture of dolour.
So the day came that the body of the
French king approached to Paris, the which
body was brought thither by the earl of
Artois, the earl Dammartin and the great
prior of France. The duke of Normandy
and his brethren, the king of Cypre, and
the most part of all the clergy of Paris went
afoot and met with the body beyond Saint-
Denis in France, and there he was solemnly
buried and the archbishop of Sens sang the
mass : and after the service done and the
dinner, the which was right noble, the lords
and prelates returned to Paris and there
they held a parliament and general council
to determine how the realm should be
ordered, for the realm might not long be
without a king : and then it was counselled
by the advice of the prelates and nobles of
the realm that they should draw to the city
of Rheims and there to crown the duke <x
Normandy, who as yet was called none
otherwise : and he wrote to his ancle
Wenceslas duke of Brabant and of Luxem-
boure and also to the earl of Flanders,
desirmg them to be at his c(»^<Hiation on
Trinity Sunday next coming.
In the same season, while the lords made
their purveyance for the king's coronation,
the Frenchmen and Navarrois approached
near together in Normandy; for into the
city of Evreux was come the captal of Bach,
BATTLE OF COCHEREL, 1364
MS
who niude there his assembly of men of
war and of companions such cui he could
geL Now let us speak of him and of sir
Bertram of Gnesclin' and of a journey of
baltle between them the Tuesifay before
Tiimty Sunday, that the duke of Normandy
should be crowned king, as he was in the
cathedral church of Rheims. When the
Captal of Buch had made his assembly in
the city of Evteuji of archers and brigands,
and left in the city a captain called sir
Leger d'Orgessin, and sent to Conches the
lord Guy of Gauville to keep frontier war,"
then he departed from Evreux with all his
men of arms and archers ; for he heard say
how the Frenchmen were abroad, bat he
wist not where they were. Then he took
the fields and had great desire to find them,
and numbered his company and fbimd that
he was to the sum of seven hundred spears,
three hundred archers and five hundred of
other men of war, and with biin were
clivers good knigbts and squires, and
Fpecially a banneret of the realm of Navarre
culled the lord of Sault, an expert man of
arms ; but he that held the greatest sum of
men of anns and archers in all the company
was a knight of England called sir John
Jouel ; there was also the lord Peler of
Saquainville, sir William of Gauville, the
lord Bertrand du Franc, the bascle of
Mareuil and divers other, all in will to
encounter sir Bertram of Guesclin and to
fighl with him. Then they drew to Passy
and to the Bridge of the Aich,' for they
thought that the Frenchmen should pass
llie rivet of Seine there, if they were not
passed already.
So it happened that the Friday in the
Whitsun week the captai and his company
lode out of a wood and by aventure they
met a herald of arms call^ king Faucon,
and the same morning he was departed from
the French host. As soon as the eaptal
saw him, he knew him well and made him
great cheer, for he was pertaining to the
king of England ; ihea he demanded of
by u
him from whence he came and if he knew
any titlings of the Frenchmen. ' Sir,' quoth
he, ' in the name of God I know well where
they be ; I departed from them to-day :
they seek you as well as ye do them.'
'Where be they,' quoth the captai,
' beyond the Bridge ai the Aich or a this
side?' ' Sir,' quoth Faucon, ' they be passed
the bridge at Vernon, and, as I believe,
they are now about Passy. ' ' What number
be they,' quoth the capital, ' and what
captains have they ? I pray you shew me. "
' Sir,' quoth Faucon, 'they ore well a Rfteen
hundred iightii^ men, and there is sa
Bertram of Guesclio, who hath the greatest
company of Bretons, also there is the earl
of Auxerre, the viscount of Beaumont, the
lord Louis of Chalon, the lord of Beaujeu,
ibe roaster of the cross-bows,' Ihearchpnest,
the lord Oudart of Rcnty ; and of Gascoyne
there is the company of the lord d'Alhret,
and the lord Aymeoion of Pommiers, the
lord soudic of Latrau. ' ' And when the
captai heard those Gascons named, he
marvelled greatly and blushed for dis-
pleasure, and said : ' Faucon, is this true ye
say, that these lords of Gascoyne are there,
and the lord d'Albrel's company?' 'Sir,'
quoth the herald, 'yea, without fuL' 'And
where is the lord d'Albret himself?' quoth
the captaL 'Sir,' quoth Faucon, 'he is
at Paris with the r^ent duke of Normandy,
who apparelleth himself to go to Kheims,
for it IS said that on Sunday next com.
ing he should be crowned king.' Then
the capla! laid his hand on his own head
and said in great displeasure. ' By Saint
Antony's cap,' Gascon against Gascon.'
' Sir," qnoth Faucon, ' hereby larrieth for
me a herald of the archpriest sent to speak
with you from him ; and as I understand by
the herald, the archpriest would speak with
you.' Then the captai said : 'Ah, Faucon,
say to the French herald he need not to go
any farther : let him shew to the archpriest
that I will not speak with him.' Then air
John Joue! slept forth and said ; ' Sir, why
will ye not speak with him ? Peradventure
It is for our profit,' Then the captai said :
r
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ablv
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//»..;« \'.i i'/«r:i',:irric-rj oroere: :hcir battles,
f/'iitf'A *i.'y ui'A*\t: three ami a rear-guard.
Ilj' (if: I ii:i'l :.ir iWtram of Guesclin with
^^j . ^ 'II Ih:-. |{i« i'/ij-., j»ri«l he was ordained to ren-
,1 I ' .11 I ' , '. ...M ' """•' ' '*''■ '''V^'^y^ Utile : the second had
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I I ii I If ii< t i
BATTLE OF COCHEREL
■47
was the viscount Beaumont and the lord
Baudwyo d'Annequin, master of ihe a
bows, and with them were Frenchu
Picards and Normans, as sir Oudar
Renty, sir Eiiguerrand of Euiiin, sir Louis
of Kaveskeike imd divers other good knights
and squires : the third battle Imd the aich-
priest and the BuTEoynians, and with him
the lord of Chalon, the lord Beaujeu, the
lord John of Vienne and divers other, and
this batlle was Bssigned to assemble against
the bsscle of Mareuil and his rout : and the
battle which was the rear-guard were all
Gascons, whereof sir Aymenion of Pom-
mieis, the loid soudic of Latrau, the lord
Perducas d'AIbrel and the lord Petiton of
Curton were sovereign captains. Then
these Gascon knights advised well the be-
having of the captaJ and how his atanilaid
was set on a bush and kept with tt cectDin
number r then they said that it behoved
them, when their battles were assembled
together, th:it they should endeavour them-
selves lo conqaer the captal's standard,
saying how if they alight get it their enemies
should be soon discomRted. Also these
Gascons avised them on another ordinance,
Ihe which was to them that day right pro-
fitable. The lords of France were a long
space together in council how they should
malnlaia Ihemselves, for they saw well that
their enemies had a great advantage ; then
the Gascons spake a word, the which was
well heard ; they said : ' Sirs, we know well
that the caplal is as worthy a knight as can
be found in any land, for as long as he is
able to fight, he shall do us great damage.
Let us ordain thirty a-horseback of the best
men of arms that be in our comiiaoy, and
let the thirty take heed to nothing but la
address themselves to the captal, while we
intend to conquer his standard, and by the
m^ht of their horses let them break the
press, so that they may come to the captal,
and then take him and carry him out of the
field, for without that be done we shall
have no end of our battle ; ' for if he may
be taken by this means, the journey shaj]
be ours, his people will be so sore abashed
of his taking. ' Then the kiughts of France
and of Bretayne accorded lightly to th '
device, and said it was good counsel and .
they would do. Then among them they
1 Or ralhn. 'carry him a»X of Die field nn.
Hlil r« the end of Ihe battle.'
chose out thirty of the best men of arms
among them, and mounted on thirty of the
best horses in all the company, and they
drew them aside in the lield well determined
of that they should do, and alt the residue
tarried in ihe field afoot in good array.
When they of France had well ordered
their battles and that every man knew what
he should do, then there was a communing
among them what shonld be their cry that
day and lo what banner they should draw
lo ; and so they were determined to cry
' Our Lady of Auxerre I ' and to make their
captain that day the earl of Auicerre. But
the eari would in no wise agree thereto,
to take that charge on him, but excused
himself right graciously, saying, ' Ijirds, I
thank yon of the honour that ye would put
me to, but surety as for me I will oot
thereof, for I am over young to have
such a charge or honour, for this is the first
journey that ever I was at, therefore ye
shal! take another. Here be many good
knights, as sir Bertram of Guesclm, the
archpriesl, the master of the cross-bows, the
lord Louis of Cbalon, the lord Aymenion of
Pommiers and sir Oudait of Kenty ; these
have been in many great journeys and they
know how to order such a matter better
than I can, therefore I pray you hold me
excused.' Then the knights regarded each
other and said to him : ' Ah, noble earl of
Auxerre, ye are the greatest among us both
of land and lineage, therefore of right ye
ought to be our head.' 'Certainly, sirs,'
auoth he, 'ye say as it pieaseth you,' but
lis day I shall be as one of your com-
panions, and shall live and die and bide
mine aventure with you, but as for the
sovereignty, surely I will none thereof.'
Then they beheld each other and advised
whom they might make chief captain. Then
they were avised that the best knight in all
their company and he that had been best
proved was sir Bertram of Guesdin : then
it was ordained by their common accord
that their cry should be that day, ' Our
Lady, Cuesclin I ' and that they should all
obey that day to sir Bertram.
All things ordained and stabllshed and
every lord and knight under his own stan-
dard or peontHi, then they regarded their
enemies, who were a-high on the hill and
would not depart from their strength,
1
i
148
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
for they thought it not ; ^ the which greatly
annoyed the Frenchmen, because it was
evil mounting of that hill and also the sun
was very hot : the biggest of them were
faint,^ for they were fasting, and they had
neither wine nor victual with them that did
them any good, without it were certain lords
that had little flagons of wine, the which
were anon empty ; nor they made that
morning no provision for victual, for they
had thought to have fought with their
enemies the same morning, but they did
not ; but they escried as near as they might
the Navarrois and Englishmen,* and so the
day was far gone or they could be assembled
together. And when the lords of France
saw the behaving of the Navarrois, then
they drew them together in manner of
council, to determine whether they should
go and fight with their enemies or not : so
they were of divers opinions : some would
go fight with them, saying it should be
great blame to them to do otherwise, some
that were sad and well avised argued to the
contrary and said : * If we go and fight with
them whereas they be in the avantage, it shall
be to our great peril, for of five of us they
will have three.* So finally they would not
agree to go to them, for dangers that might
fall. And the Navarrois advised well their
manner and said among themselves : * Be-
hold yonder our enemies : they will come
anon to fight with us, by seeming they make
them ready thereto.' There were certain
knights and squires, Normans, prisoners
with the Navarrois, and they were let go on
their faiths, and they went privily into the
French host and said to the lords there:
* Sirs, avise you well, for an ye let this day
pass without battle, your enemies will be to-
morrow greatly recomforted, for it is said
among them that the lord Louis of Navarre
should come to them with a four hundred
spears.' So these words inclined them greatly
to fight with their enemies, howsoever they
did ; and so made them ready to have set
forward : and at that point they were a
three or four times, but ever the wise men
held them back and said : * Sirs, let us
abide a little space and see what they will
1 ' For they had no design or will to do so.'
2 * Therefore the strongest of them feared it '
(le ressongnoient).
3 • For the N. and E. put it off as long as they
-mid.'
do, for their hearts are so great and pre-
sumptuous that they would as gladly fight
with us as we with them.' There were
many overcome with heat of the sun, for it
was then about noon and they had fasted all
the day and were armed and sore chafed,
and said among them, *If we go up this
hill to fight with them, we are all likely to
be lost ; therefore let us draw as for this
day to our lodging, and to-morrow let us
take other counsel.' Thus they were in
divers opinions.
"VVTien the lords and knights of France
saw the governing of the Englishmen and
of the Navarrois, and how that they would
not depart out of the hold that they were in
and that it was high noon of the day,
and also had heard the words that the
prisoners that came from them had sai(i
and also saw the most part of their people
sore travailed with the heat of the sun, the
which was to them right displeasant, then
by the advice of sir Bertram of Guesclin
they took other counsel : for he said : *Sirs,
we see well that our enemies desireth sore
to fight with us ; howbeit they will not
descend out of their hold, without it be by
the means that I shall shew you. Let us
make semblant to withdraw back and not to
fight as this day, and also our people are
sore travailed with heat, and let us send our
varlets, our carriage and our spare horses
over the bridge and water, and let us with-
draw back to our lodging, and in our going
back let us be ready to turn again, if need
be, and let us see what they will do. If
they be willing to fight with us, they will
descend down the hill to chase us, and if
we see that they do so, then let us be ready
to turn again on them, and then we shall
deal with them the more easily. ' This coun-
sel was accepted of all the company : then
every lord drew him under his own standard,
and then they caused their trumpets to
sound the retreat and commanded aU
knights, squires and varlets to pass the
bridge and to carry over all their carriages.^
So thus they passed over, and some men of
arms passed after feintly.^
When sir John Jouel, who was an expert
knight and had great desire to fight with
the Frenchmen, saw the manner of them,
how they drew back, then he said to the
1 ' Leur hamois.'
2 ' Faintement,' *by way of a feint.'
BATTLE OF COCHEREL
captal : ' Sir, Id ue go quickly oiler them :
sec yoii not liow they do flyaway?' 'Ah,'
said the captal, ' trust nol thereto : they do
it but for an evil intent and to b^uile us.'
Then sir John Jonel avanced himself, for
he had great desire to fight with his enemies,
saying to his company, 'Saint George!
whosoever lovelh me lei them follow, for I
will go and light with our enemies ' : and
so took his spear in his hand and went
faith before all the battles and descended
down the hill, and some of his company, or
the captal knew thereof. But when he 5bw
that sir John Jouel was gone to fight without
him, he took it of great presumption and
said to them about him : ' Sirs, let us go
down the hill quickly, for sir John Jouel shall
nol fighl without me.' ITien the captal
and his company advanced them down the
hill, and when the Frenchmen saw them
descend from the hill and come into the
plain fields, they were right joyous, and
said, ' Lo, now we may see that we have
desired ai! this day': and so suddenly
turned and cried ' Our Lady, Guesclin I ' and
dressed their barmers against the Navarrois,
and so assembled together all afoot ; and
air John Jouel, who courageously assembled
his banners against the battle of the Bretons,
of whom sir Bertram was chief captain, did
many a feat of arms, for he was a hardy
knight. Thus the knights and squires
sparkled abroad in the plain and fought
together with such weapons as they had,
and each of them entered into other's battle
and so fought with great courage and will;
the Englishmen and Navarrois cried ' Saint
George I ' and the Frenchmen ' Our Lady,
Guesclin I ' There were many good knights
on the French part, as sir Bertram of
Guesclin, the young earl of Auxerre, the
count Beaumont, sir Baudwyn d'Anneqi
sir Louis of Chalon, the young lord of
Beaujcu, sir Antony, who that day reared
his banner, sir Louis of Haveskerlte, sir
Oudart of RenCy, sir Ei^errand of Eudin ;
and also of Gascons, first sur Aymenion of
Tominiers, sir Perducas d'Albret, sir soudic
de Lalrau, sir Petiton of Curton, and divers
nihei of that sort : and the Gascons dressed
them against the captal and his company,
and they against them ; they had great
desire lo meet each other : there was a sore
battle and many a noble feat of arms done
and achieved. A man ought nol to lie
under his rule, because I ; ....
ofhim, I shall shew you the Irulh. As
soon as the archpriesi saw the battle begin,
he gat himself out of the press, but be said
to his company and lo him that bare his
standard : ' I charge you all, as ye love me
or fear my displeasure, that ye abide Ihe
end of the battle and do your devoirs as
well as ye can ; but as for me, I will depart
and not retiun again, for I may not as this
day fight nor be arraed against some knight
that is in (he field against us. And if any
demand for me, answer them as I have
shewed you before.' So thus he departed,
and but one squire all only with him, and
so he repassed the river and let the remnant
deal I and so the residue of the £eld missed
him not, for they saw his banner and com-
pany to the end of the battle, wherefore
they believed surely that he had been there
personally. Now shall I shew you of the
battle and how it was ended.
At the beginning of the battle, when sir
John Jouel was come down the hill and his
company with him, and the captal also and
his company, trusting to have had (he
victory (howbeit the case turned other-
wise), and saw that the Frenchmen turned
them in good array and order, then they
Eerceived well how they had been too
asty to come fi'om their advantage. How-
beit, like valiant knights, Ihey bashed
nothing, but thought to win the victory
with their hands in plain field. And so a
little they reculed back and assembled
tc^elher all their people, and then they
made way for their archers to come
forth on before, who as then were behind
them. And when the archers were forward,
then they shot fiercely together, but the
Frenchmen were so well armed and so
strongly pavised that Ihey took hut little
hurt, nor letted not for all that to fight,
and so entered in among the Englishmen
and Navarrois, and Ihey in like wise among
them, so that there was between them a
crupl battle : Ihey took by strength of
arms and wrestling spears, axes and other
«d=i.p
in the full I
' Thij
I50
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
weapons, each from other, and took
prisoners on both parts. Thus they fought
hand to hand so valiantly that it was marvel
to behold ; so ye may well believe that in
this great press and peril there were many
overthrown and slain, for there were none
that spared other. I say to you plainly,
the Frenchmen had no need as then to
sleep, for they had in hand people hardy
and full of courage, wherefore it behoved
every man to acquit themselves valiantly
and to defend their bodies and keep their
country and to take their advantage when
it came at the point, or else they had been
all discomfited : surely the Bretons and
Gascons did acquit themselves right well
that day and did many a noble feat of arms.
Now shall I shew you of the thirty that
were appointed to set on the captal, who
were right well horsed. They took heed
to nothing else but to the executing of their
enterprise that they had in charge, so all
together came on the captal, whereas he
was fighting with a great axe in his hand
and gave therewith so great strokes that
none durst approach near him, but these
thirty by force of their horses brake the
press and came on the captal and by clean
force they took him. Then began the
battles sore in every place, for the captal 's
men cried to the rescue ; howbeit all their
pain availed them nothing, for the captal
was carried out of the field ; at which time
it was hard to tell who had the better.
CHAPTER CCXXII
How the Englishmen and Navarrois were
discomfited at the battle of Cocherel, and
how the young king of France made his
brother duke of Burgoyne, and of the castles
and fortresses that were after won.
In this great battle, where that the English-
men and Navarrois intended to follow to
rescue the captal, whom they saw carried
away before them, and of the French part
sir Aymenion of Pommiers, sir Petiton of
Curton, sir soudic de Latrau and the lord
d'Albret's company, they intended with a
courageous will to dress them toward the
captal's standard that stood on a bush,
there was then a sore battle ; for the
standard was well defended with good men
of war, and specially with sir bascle of
Mareuil and sir Geoffrey of Roussillon:
there was many rescues, and many one
hurt and cast to the earth : howbeit the
Navarrois that were about the standard
were overthrown, and the bascle of Mareuil
slain, and sir Geoffrey of Roussillon taken
prisoner, and sir Aymenion of Pommiers
no man could tell what became of him,
whether he were slain or taken. ^ And
when the captal's standard was taken and
torn all to pieces, in the mean season the
Bretons, Frenchmen, Picards, Normans
and the Burgoynians fought valiantly, the
which stood them well in hand to do, for
the Navarrois had caused them somewhat to
recule, and there was dead of the French
party the viscount Beaumont, the which was
great damage, for he was a lusty young
knight and was likely to have proved a
noble man ; and his company with great
pain carried him out of the field, as I heard
recounted of them of both parties. It had
not been seen afore in such a battle with such
a number to be so well fought as this battle
was, for they were all afoot hand to hand
and were meddled together each party with
other and fought with such weapons as they
had, and there was many a great stroke
given with axes of steel, and there was sore
hurt sir Petiton of Curton and sir soudic de
Latrau in such wise that they could do no
more good that day. Sir John Jouel, by
whom the battle began, did that day many
a feat of arms and was hurt in divers places
of his body, and finally he was taken
prisoner by a squire of Bretayne of the
company of su: Bertram of Guesclin, and
was carried out of the press. But there
was slain of the French party the master of
the cross-bows, and sir Louis of Haveskerke
and divers other, and of the Navarrois the
lord of Sault and many of his men, and the
same day died prisoner sir John Jouel ; and
there was taken sir William of Gauville,
sir Peter of Saquainville, sir Geoffrey of
Roussillon, sir Bertram of [the] Franc
and divers other ; but a few of the Navarrois
saved, they were near all taken or slain in
1 This should be : * Sir Geoffrey of Roussillon was
taken prisoner by sir Aymenion of Pommiers, and
all the others who were there either slain or driven
on so far that none could tell what became of them.'
However, the French text which the translator had
before him is made unintelligible by the omissioa of
the words ' et tout li aultre.'
CORONATION OF CHARLES V-, 1364
the place. This baftle was in Normandy
near Id Cocherel on a Tuesday' the Iwenty-
fourlh day of May" the year of our Lord
After this discomfiture and that all Ihe
dead were despoiled, and every man taking
heed to his prisoners and dressing of ihem
that were hurl, and ihal the most part of
the Frenchmen were repassed the bridge
and drawing to Iheir lodging right sore
travailed and weary, the same season sir
Guy of Gauvaie, son to sir William of
Gaurille, was departed the same morning
from the garrison of Conches with a fifty
spears, lo the intent to have come to the
eaptal or the battle began, wherefore they
made great haste and came lo the place
whereas Ihe battle had been. Then the
Frenchmen that were behind cried to their
company saying, 'Turn again, sirs, behold
here cometh more of our enemies ' : and sir
Aymenion and his company were there
ready, and when he saw the Navancus, he
set his standard a-high on a bush to cause
the Frenchmen to draw thither. And when
sir Guy heard them cry, 'Our Lady,
Guesclin ! ' and saw not the eaptal nor
none of his company, but saw much people
lie dead on the ground, then he perceived
well Ihal the Navartois had been dis-
comfited, and then he returned the same
way he came. And that evening the
Frenchmen took heed lo their prisoners.
Then there was much speaking and en-
quiring for the archpriest, when it was
known thai he was not at the battle, and
his men CKCUsed him as well as ihey could.
And the thirty that took the cnptal never
ceased till they had brought him to the
castle of Vernon. And the next day the
Ftenchmen dislodged and went to Rouen
and there left part of their prisoners.
CHAPTER CCXXIII
On Trinity Sunday the year of our Lord a
Mcccuciv. king Charles, son and heir to
king John, was crowned and sacred king
■ The Dnginal has ' jend;.' The tnnslatar more
thjn iince givej us ■Tuesdn)-' fur -jeudi ' aiid ■ Wed-
jichUt' For ' mvdij' »s In i. iBg.
in the great church of our Lady in Rheims,
and also the queen his wife, daughter to
duke Peter of Bourbon, by the atchbishop
of the same place. And there was present
king Peter of Cypre, the duke of Anjou,
the duke of Burgoyne, sir Wenceslas of
Bohemia, duke of Luxembourg and of
Brabant, the earls of Ku and of Dammartin,
of Tancarville and of Vaudcmont, with
many prelates and other lords, and in the
city was great feasts and solemnities live
days: then the king departed and went to
Paris. It cannot be recounted in a whole
day the solemnities and great feasts that
they of Paris made them. The lords re-
turned into their own cminlries, such as
had been there at the king's 1
of Burgoyne, and 30 departed from Paris
with a peat number of men and went and
took bvery, seisin and hom^e of the
barons, knights, cities, castles and good
towns of the duchy of Burgoyne ; and
when he had visited his eounliy, he re-
turned to Paris. And the same season Ihe
archpriest appeased the king's displeasure
by such eiLCUSatdons as he laid for himself,
in that he was not at the journey of
Cocherel, shewing how he might not be
armed against Ihe eaptal ; the which
eaptal at the request of the lord d'Albret
was let out of prison on his faith and troth,
the which eaptal aided greatly to excuse
the archpriest to Ihe king and lo other
knights of France, such as spake evil of
him : also he bad as then newly overthrown
in Burgoyne beside Dijon a four hundred
companions and pillers of the country,
whereof Guyot du Pin, Tallebart, Talle-
bardon and John of Chauffour were captains.
The same season the king caused to be
beheaded air Peter Saquainville in the city
of Rouen, because he was become Navarrois,
and sir Gauvillc had been ui the same case,
an sir Guy his son had not been, who sent
word to the king, that if he put lo death
his father, he would in like wise serve sir
Braimon de Laval, s great lord of Eretayne,
whom he had as prisoner ; wherefore his
lineage and kindred did so much by their
suit to the king, thai there was an exchange
made between sir Braimon and sir Gauville,
and each delivered for other. In this
season sir Bertram of Guesclin gat again
152
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
the castle of Rolleboise for six thousand
franks that he paid to the captain thereof,
named Wauter, who returned again to
Brabant from whence he came. Yet there
were divers companions that held still
sundry fortresses in Caux, Normandy,
Perche, Beauce and in other places, the
which did much hurt and trouble in the
realm of France, some in the title of the
king of Navarre and some in their own
quarrel, to rob the country without reason
or true title. The French king sent his
brother the duke of Burgundy against these
pillers, and so the duke made his summons
m the city of Chartres. Then he drew
into the field, and with him sir Bertram
of Guesclin, sir Bouciquaut, the earl of
Auxerre, sir Louis of Chalon, the lord of
Beaujeu, sir Aymenion of Pommiers, sir
Rayneval, the Begue of Villaines, sir
Nicholas of Ligne, master of the cross-bows,
sir Oudart of Renty, sir Enguerrand of
Eudin, and to the number of five thousand
fighting men. And when they saw they
were so great a number, they divided in
three parts, whereof sir Bertram of Guesclin
with a thousand went toward Cotentin
through the marches of Cherbourg to keep
the frontiers there, that the Navarrois
should do no hurt nor damage to the
country of Normandy ; and with him was
the lord of Auxerre, the earl of Joigny, sir
Arnold d'Audrehem, and many knights
and squires of Bretayne and of Normandy.
The second battle had the lord de la Riviere,
and in his company divers knights and
squires of France and of Picardy, and they
were sent into the earldom of Evreux ; and
the duke himself with the greatest company
went and laid siege to Marchelainville, a
strong castle Navarrois, and brought thither
many engines from the city of Chartres,
the which did cast day and night and did
them within much trouble.
CHAPTER CCXXIV
Of the journey that the duke of Burgoyne
made against the garrisons Navarrois,
and of the succour that the French king
sent to sir Charles of Blois.
SUMMAR Y. — The lord Louis of Navarre
*'*'d overrun the Bourbonnais and Auvergne
and taken Im Chariti on the Loire, The
duke of Burgundy and those with him took
many towns and castles in Normandy , and
at length besieged and took Lai CharitS.
In the mean time the earl of Montfort lay
at siege before Auray in Brittany^ and the
king of France sent Bertrand du Guesclin
and others to aid sir Charles of Blois
against him. Also to the earl of Montfort
came sir John Chandos and other knights
and squires of England.
CHAPTER CCXXV
How sir Charles of Blois came against the
earl Montfort in ordinance of battle, and
how sir John Chandos came against him,
and how many were in each battle.
SUMMAR V. —Sir Charles of Blois canu
to Auray with sir Bertrand du Guesclin
and many others. Sir John Chandos was
commander of the earl of Montfort s army,,
and by his means all attempts to make peace
were frustrated. The battle was fought in
a plain near to Auray on a Sunday morn-
ing {2gth September 1364).
CHAPTER CCXXVI
How sir John Chandos disaimfited the battle
of the earl of Auxerre, and how sir Bertram
of Guesclin was discomfited and taken, and
the lord Charles of Blois slain in the battle,
and of the pitiful complaint that the earl
Montfort made for his death.
SUMMAR Y.^The battle of Auray was
won by the party of the earl of Montfort
under sir John Chandos^ and sir Charles
of Blois was slain.
CHAPTER CCXXVII
Of the truce that was given to bury the dead
after the battle of Auray, and how divers
castles yielded up to the earl Montfort, and
how he besieged Quimper-Corentin.
SUMMARY.— The French party were
greatly discouraged by this defeat, and the
king of England was rejoiced^ and so like-
CHAPTER CCXXVIII
Now let 115 speak of Ihe earl Monlforl, i
he did in tJrelayne.
SUMMARY.^Thffarle/MontforltoBk
Auray.Jugon and DinanI, and laid siigt
to QHimfir-Corentin.
CHAPTER CCXXIX
How the peace was made that the earl of
Montfon should abide duke of Brelayi
and bow tlie French king rendered
Clisson his land, and of the marTiage of
the duke Of Normandy, and how the
capiat qI Buch became tieee man to the
French king and afterward renounced
him again.
SUMMA R V. 1 lna/ya,a?made by which
Ihe earl af MantfoH should remain duke of
Brittany , doing hamagsjor Ihe dnchy la the
king of France. Also fence mas made belwettt
Ike king of France and the king of Navarre,
chiefly by the means of the caftal de Buch.
The chapier then ronlinues thus : —
In this season yet was there stUi in
France p^^t number of the companions,
the which as then wist not what to do,
seeing the wars of Bretayne were ended.
These companions pursued ever after deeds
□r arms and taking of pillages at their
advantages, from the which they could not
noi would abstain, and all their chief re-
course was in France, for they called the
realm of France their chamber. They
durst do no hurt in Acquilaine, for the
land wonld not suffer Ihem, and also, to
say truth, most part of the captains were
Gascons and Englishmen under the obei-
sance of the king of England and of the
prince; some there were of Bretayne, but
not many ! wherefore divers of the realm
of France murmured against the king of
England and the prince, and said covertly
how that they acquitted not themselves
well against the French king, seeing they
.3o not their good wills to pat out of Ihe
either by battle
or by means of some money, else at length
they were likely to destroy Ihe noble realm
of France and holy Christendom.
The same season there was in Hungary
a king thai would gladly have had them
with him ; for he bad great war agEunst
the Turk, who did him great damage.
Then he wrote to pope Urban the 6fth,
who was as then at Avignon, certi^i^
him how he would gladly that the realm m
France were ilclivered of the number of
componions and that they were all with
him in his wars against the Turk ; and in
like wise he wrote letters to the French
king and to the prince of Wales, And so
they entreated the said companions and
offered them gold and silver and passage ;
but they answered that they would not Uiat
way, saying Ihcy would not go so far to
make war ; for it was shewed among them-
selves by some of their own company that
had been before in Hungary, how that
there were such straits, that if they were
fought with there, they could never escape,
but to die shamefully ; the which so aSrayed
them that they had no lust to go thither.
And when the pope and the French king
saw thai they would not ^p:ee according
to their desires, and also that they would
not avoid out of the realm of France, but
daily multiplied, then they bethought them
of another -way and means to cause them
The same season there was a king in
Castile called don Peter,' who was fufl of
marvellOQs opinions, and he was rude and
rebel against the commandments of holjf
Church, and in mind to subdue all his
Christian neighbours, Icings and princes,
and specially the king of Aragon called
Peter, who was a good true Christian
prince, end had as then taken from him
pari of his realm, thinking to have all the
remnant. Also this king don Peter of
Castile had three bastard brethren, the
hich king Alphonso his father had by
lady called the Riche Done ; ' the eldest
was called Henry, the second don Tello,
Damuttr/
d ' la Richa Dona.
154
THE CHRONICLES OF FkOtSSART
and the third Sancho. This king don
Peter hated them so, that he would not
suffer them to come in his sight, and
oftentimes, if he might have gotten them,
he would have stricken off their heads :
howbeit they were well beloved with the
king their father, and in his life he gave to
Henry the eldest the county of Asturge,
but this king don Peter his brother had
taken it from him, and therefore they kept
daily war together. This bastard Henry
was a right hardy and a valiant knight,
and had been long in France and pursued
the war there and served the French king,
who loved him right entirely. King don
Peter, as the common bruit ran, had put
to death the mother of the children, where-
with they were right sore displeased, and
good cause why. Also beside that, he
had put to death and exiled divers great
lords of the realm of Castile: he was so
cruel and so without shame that all his
men feared, doubted and hated him as far
as they durst. Also he caused to die a
right good and holy lady, the which he had
to wife, called the lady Blanche, daughter
to duke Peter of Bourbon, sister -german to
the French queen and to the countess of
Savoy, whose death was right displeasant
to all her lineage, the which was one of the
noblest lineages of the world. And beside
all this there ran a bruit of him among his
own men how that he was amiably allied
with the king of Granade and with the king
of Bellemarine and the king of Tremesen,°
who were all God's enemies and infidels :
wherefore some of his own men feared that
he would do some hurt to his own country,
as in violating of God's churches, for he
began already to take from them their
rents and revenues and held some of the
prelates in prison and constrained them by
tyranny, whereof great complaints came
daily to our holy father the pope, requiring
him to find some remedy : to whose com-
plaints the pope condescended, and sent
incontinent messengers into Castile to the
king don Peter, commanding him that
incontinent without any delay personally
to come to the court of Rome, to wash,
cleanse and purge him of such villain deeds
as he was guilty in. Howbeit this king
don Peter, full of pride and presumptuous-
ness, would not obey nor come there, but
1 Tlemcen.
dealt shamefully with the pope's messengers,
whereby he ran greatly m the indignation
of the Church and specially of the head of
the Church, as of our holy father the pope.
Thus this evil king don Peter persevered
still in his obstinate sin.
Then advice and counsel was taken by
the pope and by the collie, what way they
might correct him, and there it was deter-
mined that he was not worthy to bear the
name of a king, nor to hold any realm, and
there in plain consistory in Avignon, in the
chamber of excommunication, he was openly
declared to be reputed as an infidel. Then
it was thought that he should be constrained
and corrected by help of the companions
that were as then in the realm of France.
Then the king of Aragon, who hated the
king of Castile, was sent for, and also
Henry the bastard of Spain, to come to
Avignon to the pope ; and when they were
come, the pope made Henry the bastard
legitive and lawful to obtain the realm of
Castile, and don Peter cursed and con-
demned by sentence of the pope, and there
the king of Aragon said how he would open
the passage through his country and pro-
vide victuals and purveyances for all
manner of people and men of war that
would pursue to go into Castile to confound
king don Peter and to put him out of his
realm. Of this ordinance was the French
king right joyous, and did his pain to help
to get out of prison sir Bertram of Guesclin,
who was prisoner with sir John Chandos,
and paid for his ransom a hundred thousand
franks, part thereof paid the French king
and the pope, and Henry the bastard paid
the residue ; and after his deliverance they
fell in treaty with the companions and
promised them great profit, if they would
go into the realm of Castile ; whereto they
lightly agreed for a certain sum of money
that they had to depart among them : and
so this journey was shewed to the prince of
Wales and to the knights and squires about
him, and specially to sir John Chandos,
who was desired to be one of the chief
captains with sir Bertram of Guesclin ;
howbeit he excused him and said he might
not go thither. Yet the journey was not
let for all that, and divers knights of
the prince's went thither, as sir Eustace
d'Aubrecicourt, sir Hugh Calverley, sir
I Gaultier Hewet, sir Matthew Goumay, sir
f
DON PETER OF CASTILE
"55
Perducas d'Albret and divers other ; and
the chief caplain of this enleiprise was
made the lord John of Bourbon earl of
Matche, to counleivengc ' the death of his
cousin the queen of Spain, and was in atl
things ruled and counselled by the advice
of sir Bertram of Gueschn, for the earl of
Marche wa& as then a jolly young lusly
knighl 5 and also the lord Antony of Beaujeu
went forth in that viaee, and divers other
good knights, as sir Arnold d'Audrehem,
maishal of France, the Begue of Villaines,
the lord d'Antoing in Hsinault, the lord of
Btilfcuil, sir John Neuville, sir Gauvain of
IiaiUeul,sirJohnofBergnettes, theAllemant
of Saint- Venant and divers other, the which
I cannot name. And so al! these lords and
other advanced forth in the viage and made
their assembly in Lai^uedoc and at Mont-
pelliei and thereabout, aod so passed all to
Narfaonne, to go toward Perpignan and so
to enter on that side into the realm of
Aragon. These men of war were to the
number of thirty thousand, and there were
the chief captains of the companions, as sir
Robert Briquet, sir John Creswey, Naudan
of Bageran, I'Amit, [he little Meschin, the
bourg Camus, the bourg de Leeparre,
Batillier, Espiote, Aymenion d'Arligue,
Perrot of Savoy snd divers other, all of
acxord and of one alh'aoce, having great
desire to put king don Peter out of the
realm of Castile and to make king the eail
enter into the realm of Aragon, to do their
enterprise the more privily they sent (o
king don Peter to blind him by their
message : but he was already well informed
of their intents and how they were coming
on him into the realm of Castile ; tnit he
set nothing thereby, but assembled his
people lo resist against them and to fight
with them at the entry of his realm. Their
message was desiring hiui to open the strails
of his country and lo give free passage to
the in^rims of God, who had enterprised
by great devotion to go into the realm of
Gtuiade, lo revenge the death and passion
of our Lord Jesu Christ and to destroy the
infiilels and to exalt the Christian faith.
The king don Peter at these tidings did
nothing bat laugh, and said he would do
nothing at their desire, nor obey in any
point lo such a rascal company. And
when these kn^hls and other men of arms
knew the will and answer of king don Peter,
whereby they reputed him right or^Ious
and presumptuous, and made all the haste
they might to advance, lo do him all the
hurt they could. So they all passed through
the realm of Aragon, where they found the
passages ready open for them, and victual
and everything ready apparelled and at a
meet!j| price ; for the lung of Aragon had ,
great joy of their coming, trusting then \ij
their means lo conquer again from the king
of Castile all his lands, that king don Petei
had before taken from him by force ; and
then these men of war passed the great
river that departeth Caslile and Aragon,
and so ihey entered into the realm of
Spain : and when they had conquered
towns, cities and castles, straits, ports and
passages, the which Ihe king don Peter had
taken from the king of Aragon, then sir
Bertram and hiscompanydelivered them to
the king of Aragon on the condition thai
always from thenceforth he should aid and
comfort Henry the bastard against don
Tidings came to the king of Caslile how
thai the Frenchmen, Bretons, Englishmen,
Normans, Picards and Burgoyniana were
entered into his realm and were as then
passed the great river departing Castile and
Aragon, and how they had won again all
on Uiat side the river, the which c^
Then he '
and trouble or he w
Then )ie was right sore displeased and
said : 'Well, all shall not go so as they
' shalL' Then he made a special
Iment throughout all his realm, in
giving knowledge to them that bis letters
and messengers were sent unto, that they
should without delay come to him, lo Che
■ to tight with the men of war that
entered into his realm of Castile.
There were but a few that obeyed his
eommandment, and when he had thought
have had a great assembly of men of
ir, he was deceived, for few or none came
him ; for his lords and knights of Spain
forsook and refused him and turned to his
brother the bastard : wherefore he was fain
lo fly, or else he had been taken, he was so
behated with his enemies and also with
own men, so that none abode about
him exixpt one true knight called FerranC
I
156
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
of Castro ; ^ he would never forsake him
for none adventure. And so then don
Peter went to Seville, the best city of
Spain, and when he was come thither, he
was in no great surety ; wherefore he
trussed and put into coffers his treasure, and
took a ship with his wife and children, and
so departed from Seville, and Ferrant of
Castro his knight with him, and he arrived
like a knight discomfited in Galice [at a
port] called the Corogne,^ where there was
a strong castle, and therein he, his wife
and children entered, that is to say, two
young daughters, Constance and Isabel,
and of all his men and council he had none
but Ferrant of Castro.
CHAPTER CCXXX
Now let us shew of Henry the bastard, how
he persevered in his enterprise.
Thus, as I have shewed before, this king
don Peter was sore behated with his own
men throughout all the realm of Castile
because of the marvellous cruel justice that
he had done and by the occasion of the
destruction of the noblemen of his realm,
the which he had put to death and slain
with his hands. Wherefore as soon as they
saw his bastard brother enter into the realm
with so great puissance, then they drew all
to him and received him to their lord, and
so rode forth with him ; and they caused
cities, towns, boroughs and castles to be
opened to him and every man to do him
homage : and so the Spaniards all with one
voice cried, * Live Henry, and die don
Peter, who hath been to us so cruel and so
evil.' Thus the lords led forth Henry
throughout all the realm of Castile, as the
lord Gomez Carillo, the great master of
Calatrava,^ and the master of Saint James.
So thus all manner of people obeyed to him
and crowned him king in the city of
Asturge ; and all prelates, earls, barons and
knights made him reverence as to their
king, and sware always to maintain him as
their king, or else, if need required, to die
in the quarrel. So thus this king rode
from city to city and from town to town,
' — ^odo Perez de Castro. 2 Corunna. ^
irand master of the order of Calatrava.'
and always and in every place he had
reverence done to him like a king: and
then he gave to the knights strangers, such
as came with him into the realm of Castile,
great gifts and rich jewels so largely, that
every man reputed him for a liberal and
an honourable lord. And commonly the
Normans, Frenchmen and Bretons said that
in him was all liberality, and how he was
well worthy to live and to reign over a
great realm ; and so he did a season right
puissantly and in great prosperity. Thus
the bastard of Spain came to the seignory of
the realm of Castile, and he made his two
brethren, don Tello and Sancho, each of
them an earl with great revenues and profit.
Thus this Henry was king of Castile, of
Galice, of Seville, of Toledo and of Lisbon,
unto such season as the puissance of Wales
and Acquitaine put him out thereof and set
again king don Peter into the possession
and seignory of the foresaid realms, as ye
shall hear after in this history.
When that this king Henry saw himself
in this estate and that every man obeyed
him and reputed him for their king and
lord, and saw nothing likely to the contrary
of his desire, then he imagined and cast his
advice to exalt his name and to employ the
number of such companions as were come
to serve him out of the realm of France, to
make a voyage on the king of Granade ;
whereof he spake to divers knights, who
were well agreed thereto. And always this
king Henry held still about him the prince's
knights, as sir Eustace d'Aubrecicourt, sir
Hugh Calverley and other, and shewed
them great token and sign of love in trust
that they should aid and serve him in his
voyage to Granade, whither he hoped to go.
And anon after his coronation there de-
parted from him the most part of the
knights of France, and he gave them great
gifts at their departing ; and so then re-
turned the earl of Marche, sir Arnold
d'Audrehem, the lord Beaujeu and divers
other, but sir Bertram of Guesclin tarried
still in Castile with the king, and sir Oliver
of Manny and the Bretons with certain
number of the companions : and so then
sir Bertram of Guesclin was made constable
of all the realm of Castile by the accord of
king Henry and all the lords of the country.
Now let us speak of king don Peter, how
he maintained himself.
FLIGHT OF DON PF.TBR, 1366
CHAPTER CCXXXI
Ye have well heard how king don Peter
was driven into Ihe csistle of Corc^e on
[he sea, and with him his wife, his two
daughters, and don Ferranl of Castro with
him all only, so that in the mean season
that his brother the bastard, by puissance
of the men of war tliat he had got out of
France, conquered Castile, and that ail the
country yielded them to him, as ye have
heard before. He was right sore afraid,
and not well assured in thecastle of Corogne,
for be doubted greatly his brother the
bastard, for he knew well that if he had
knowledge of his being there, he would
i!ome with puissance and besl^;e him.
Wherefore he thought he would not abide
that peril ; therefore be departed in a night
and took a ship, and his wife, his two
daughters and don Ferrant of Oistro, and
all the gold, silver, and jewels that they
had : but the wind was to him so contrary
that he could not draw from the coast, and
so was fain again to enter into the fortress
of Corogne. Then the king don Peter de-
maoded of don Ferrant his knight how he
should maintain himself, complaining of
fortune, that was to him so contrary, ' Sir,'
qwHh the knight, ' or ye depart from hence,
it, were good that ye did send to your cousin
the prince of Wales, to know if he would
receive you or not, and for pity somewhat
lo tender your need and necessity ; for
din^s ways he is bound thereto by reason
of the great alliaocea that the king bis father
and yours bad together. The prince of
Wales is so noble and so gentle of blood
and of courage, that when he knoweth your
tribulation, I think verily he will take
thereof great compassion. And if he will
■ ' ■ t you again in your ' ■' -
e thatci
■a well in
Uthew
he is so feared, redoubted and beloved with
And,'
, yeai
J good strong fortress,
ye hcarother lidingsout of Acquitaine.'
this counsel accorded lightly the king
Peler. Then he wrote letters right pi
and amiable, and a knight with two squires
I were desired to do this message ; and
they look on them that journey and entered
into the sea, and sailed so long that they
arrived at Bayonne, the which city held of
thekingof England. Then they demanded
tidings of the prince, and it was shewed
Ihem how that lie was at Bordeaux. Then
they took their horses and rode so long that
thej- came to Bordeaux, and there took
their lodging, and anon after they went to
the abbey of Saint Andrew's, where the
prince was. And there these messengers
shewed how they were come out of Castile
and were Spaniards and messengers from
king don Peter of Castile : and when the
prince knew thereof, he said he would see
them and know what they would have.
And so they came and kneeled down and
saluted him according to their usage, and
recommended the king their master to him
and delivered their letters. The prince took
up the messengers and received their letters,
and opened and read them at good leisure,
wherein he found how piteously king don
Peter wrote, signifying to Mm all his poverty
and miscliier, and how that bis brother the
bastard, by puissance and by the great
amities that he had purchased, first of tbe
pope, of the French king and of the king
of Aragon, and by the help of the com-
panions, had put him out from the heritage
of the realm of Castile : wherefore he de-
sired the prince for God's sake and by the
way of pity that he would intend to provide
for him some counsel and remedy, wherein
he should achieve grace of God and of alt
the world ; for it is not the right way of a
true Christian king to disinherit a rightful
heir and to enherit by puissance of tyranny
a bastard. And the prince, who was a
valiant knight and a sage, closed the letters
in his hands and said to the messengers:
' Sirs, ye be right welcome to me from my
cousin the king of Castile \ ye shall tarry a
space here with ns, and ere ye depart, ye
shall have an answer.'
Then the prince's knights, who knew
right well what they had to do, led to their
lod^ngs the Spanish knight and the two
squires ; and the prince, who tarried still in
his chamber, mused greatly on those tidings,
and then sent for Mr John Chandos and for
sir Thomas Felton, two of the chief of his
council, for the one was the seneschal oE
Acquitaine and the other constable,
when they were come to him, then be said
I
ISH niK CHKONiCI.ES OF FROISSART
Then sir Thomas Felton and his company
came to him and receive<I him right sweetly,
and sheweil him how they were there ready
by the ci^mmandment of the prince their
\\>v\ to have come to him to Cor(^ne and
to any other place, to have brought him to
the prince : of the which tidings the king
don Peter was right joyous, and thanked
grtnitly tlio prince and the knights that were
111 thrin all »nulin^ : * Sirs, yr shall hoar
new tidin^ai out ol' S}uiin. The king dim
I'flcr our cousin comphiincth him greatly of
the Uislurd llcnry \\\^ brother, who hath
tukrn iVtuu him his inheritance and hath put
him (Uit of his realm, as ye have heanl re-
|Hirtcd by them that hath inmie t'nun thence :
Mud he uH|uireth us iuNtantly of our i\unfort
ami aid| as it appcareth here by his letters.*
And Ml then the primv read the letters • There.
\^»»i\l by w\»rd a twv» tiuu's, and these twv» | The cv^ming of the king don Peter thus
kni^hlH heard well all the matter. And to lia)vnne sir Thomas Felton and the
when he had iea\l the letters^ then he said other knights certitied the prince thereof, of
to I hem : * Sir^, ye twv». sir John and sir the >^hich he was right joyous: and within
rh\M\ia<i, ye are the nuvit s)H\*itil of my a shv>rt six\ce after these knights brought
cviuncd. auvi in NNhom I have nK>st tru>t ami the king dvm Teter to that city of Bordeaux,
atfiance. \Vheret\Me I dcNiie y\Hi cvntnst^l And the prince, who greatly desired to see
nu' wlwt ve think \*ere U'^^ to dv»/ Then his cvnisin the kingdv^n Peter and to do him
these twv A nights I vheKl iNiwh other wit hvHii the more h\.^mHir and feast, issued out of
any n\\*i\1 x|H'akin^. Then thepiinoe again lH."»rvieaux accvtmnanievi with divers knights
vu\L 'Sirs. N|HMk harvlily ^hat ye think in and st^iuires, ana went and met the king
ihix muter*: and there the pmuv was anvl vUd to him great reverence both in worS
C\»un>elKNl by thvVN^* jwv* knights» as I was ami deevl : the which he could do right well,
intvuiuAl, that he shv»uKl semi to the king for there was nv> prince in his time that
dv»n IVier u\en ol \^.h tv» v.\uv^ne, where cvHi'vi shew uK>re honour than he. And
he \^as avNNMvUngto the lemuir v»f the letters ' when the prince had well feasted him, then
auvl al>\* bv the reix>« <*i the ms.»sa»*.''nj:ers» they rvxle to lx.>rvleaux, and the prince took
ami that the men v»t" war shvudvl luing him ;he kingalxn-e him. in no wise he would do
iv* the citv v^t lVivleau\» auvl there more v*« her wise: anvl as ihev rode together the
plaiiilv to km^w what he wv^uUl sav» ami king don Pe:er shewe>l to the prince how
then, a».\\»tv*iiig a^t ihoy shv^uM hoar his his bustaivl Nrv>iher had chased him out of
wouK tv* take ad\i^v aiul i^* i^i^e him such his rvMlm o* Cascile. and also he piteonsly
v\»ttns»,'l as v»t reasvui xhvHiUl suj^vv him. cv»«\pLiittevl hiia ot the untruth of his men,
rhiN a-aNwee Wcas*\i lis^ht well ihc I'ri-.we. shewiiu^ hv>w thor havl all forsaken him ex-
rhon he vu*>it\\* to c<-* '<* v.\»tvv;ie in ;ha: ce'.*c one k!tii:h:. the which was there with
\i.ij;e. :o '.uu\^ in >.i\* ;;'.:a*.v'. :o him tho "urt*. cali^l den Ferranc of Castro. The
kiuji v!oa lVce» . rit^: n:i i hoxtui'i bVUott a< \»ri:ve righ: cv^urci^ocsly and sagely recom-
M.»\e»vig't aitvl chiv't\»£ .ha: a'.iMy» sii Kiohard '.or'.^xl hiau vicsirir^ him not to be abashed
v'l lV!v.oha*.vio«» MS N'.oi I of.^g. Nil Sit«on t'.or J.is<vii:!or:>x'» :br 'bough he had as then
>*o *:»vv.'v'\. Nil NX '.'lia'*^ rtuss*,'l.l : a»*.d ii*. U'st a"., he trusted ic sfcocU: be in the puis-
:h.i'. a:'.!'.\ ; vtv >>o;.'. o V :wev\e shi*.** !\:i- -^aisce s,>£ ^.•v.\x :o restore hisi again all his
■.•"..N.>^\" >*•.'.■*, a:cVts a'.v ":»cn ot" w-.u. Sv^ V'tss* aad morev^ver :o :a*ve vengeance of all
.hc^c 'v •'%:■'.■. X v.Mv'c ;>oiv -'iv'siNioi^ :." s;o ""■.•< enemies. Thus is :hey lalked together,
:'..,♦ v.t.i'-.».v: a"'.' ,V-» ,"v :"v.'*ijs.jxets Js"- '-hc^ rvs.ie *.* 'ooi: -ha: :hev came to Bor-
\f ,v •-v;^': *Ar,'va.:\ a v. !vv.v." w.h :hc'*? J-caux. a: v. alii^^t^svl at 'he abbey of Saint
. .' V\'. \ •.; • ► ,' .». 'o . '^ct V . a : t '.v-x: i : *"* ; ^v .'t V'*v'. i c w " >. \fc hereas :he 7rii:x*e anc rrincess
■."i.:-. »'.N. '. *.. ';^ »."i H'-.v. a :*•.*. w'^M.hc*. v.::"; '.'^ctc house; au*.', rhec :he '^c-ng was
V"-.- '"',• ■ . " J.'.\. »..> •.'"c^ ^^v'v J-.-'\»".'.:i;j;. '?tvci:'u .o a :"a:c .rhaaiSrr reoniy arcaxelled
X' V ;; . ■;' "\-..t ,^i" v",i< "c a:"-.o.: a; vc hi:«. a:v. v^'-^ett he was chazge'i. he
"v.- .'. . * '•^•" . '.'i '"0 >*M'> .'vrra: '.,••.: "v.Mrr *e;*: :o :**e vrtrrc^ss a::o. :o :he Iiicies*. who
/-•i X'-. : ^■'. '. . ■'a^^v a *v'. J.-.-u-'c. ci V wvav.''.' hi'*i rrg-^: .var:ei."'usiy. as they
.iu;«s. "i.c a:»' ,• : v**;: a-*-* '■.•ngct. .t'«" .vc .* righ: well i»-'. I arighc over long
'jrvughc .'uc a X'mi .^ >:s "t'c* >*'.ch hiti a.'*- 7:avo rei.x*c^ ;c ycu ."f :his axa:ter. woaioc
cw*5ure as he 'TiaJ. S.- ".V ■.•\.i:i»i:'* ■'» •"*'^'-' *.*hcer. Viuits im? siXT^s : W3«;reli.ire I
wusgrca: o^. :v "."■'c y:*c::siiiriv:''. .jjcf :; ovvr 'c'ticdv auii ?hall shew yen how
1
DON PETER OF CASTILE AT BORDEAUX
159
king don Peter sped with the prince his
cousin, whom he found right amiahle and
courteous, and well condescended 10 his de-
sices : howbeit, there were some of his
council said unto him as ye shall hear after.
Or that don Peter came to BordeauK,
some wise and sage imaginative lorils, as
well of Gascoyne as of England, who were
of the prince s counci! and had ever truly
served him and given him good cnunsel and
so thought ever to do, they said to the
prince : ' Sir, ye have heard say divers
timra, he thai too much emhracelh holdeth
the weaklier. Il is for a truth that ye are
one of the princes of the world most praised,
honoured and redoubted, and holdelh on
this side the sea great lands and seignorics,
thanked be God, in good rest and peace.
There is no king, near nor far off, as at this
present time, that dare displease you, ye
are so renowned of good chivalry, grace and
good fortune ! ye ought therefore by reason
Id be content with that ye have and seek
not to get you any enemies. Sir, we say
not this for none evil : we know well the
king don Pelerof Castile, who is now driven
out of his realm, is a man of high mind,
right cruel and full of evil conditions ; for
by hinn hath been done many evit deeds in
the realm of Castile, and hath caused many
a valiant man to lose his head and brought
cmelly to an end without any manner of
reason : and so by his villain deeds and
consent he is now deceived ' and put out of
bis realm, and also beside all this he is
enemy tu the Church and cursed by our
holy father the pope. He is reputed, anil
hath bcPii a great Season, like a tyrant, and
Kilhout title of reason halh always grieved
and made war with his neighbours, the
Wng of Aragon and the king of Navarre,
and would have disherited them by puis-
!.ince ; and also, as the limit runneth
Ihrijughout his realm and by his own men,
how he caused to die his wife your cousin,
(laughter lo the duke of Bourbon. Where-
Toie, sa, ye ought lo think and consider
that all this that he now suffereth are rods
and strokes of God sent to chastise him and
logliveensample to all other Christian kings
and princes lo beware that they do not as
coofmcd with ' 4
;u-), 'f^llt.
semblnble the prince was counselled, or
king don Peter arrived at Bayonne ; but
to Uiese words the prince answered thus,
saying: 'Lords, I think and believe
certainly (hat ye counsel me truly to (he
best of your powers. I know well and am
well informed of the life and state of this
king don Peter, and know well that without
number he hath done many evil deeds,
whereby now he is deceived.' But the
cause present that moveth and giveth us
courage to be willing to aid him, is as I
shall shew you. It is not convenable that
a bastard should hold a realm in heritage,
and put out of his own realm his brother,
rightiiil inheritor to the land ; the which
tiling all kings and kings' sons should in no
wise sutler nor consent to, for it is a great
prejudice against the state royal : and also
beside that, the king my father and this king
don Peter hath a great season tieen allied
together by great confederations, wherefore
we are bound to aid him in cause that he
require and desire us so to do.' Thus the
prince was moved in his courage to aid and
comfort this king don Peter in his trouble
and besynes. Thus he answered lo his
council, and they could not remove him
out of that purpose, for his ' '
e firmly set on that n
And when king don Peter of Castile was
come to the prince, to the city of Bordeaux,
he humbled himself right sweetly to the
prince, and offered to him great gifts and
profit, in saying that he would make
Edward his eldest son king of Calice, and
that he would depart to him and to his men
great good and riches, the which he had
left behind him in the realm of Castile,
because he durst not bring it with him ; but
this riches was in so sure keeping that none
knew where it was but himself: to the
which words the knights gave good intent,
for Englishmen and Gascons naturally are
covetous. Then the prince was counjellcd
lo assemble alt the barons of the duchy of
Acqnitaine, and his special council : and
so there was at Bordeaux a great council,
and there the king don Peter shewed openly
how he would maintain himself and how he
would satisfy every man, if the prince would
take on him lo bring him again into his
country. Thfn there were letters written
and messengers sent forth, and lords and
knights sent for all about, as the eari
i6o THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
of Arma^nac, the carl of Comminges, the
lord irAlbret. the earl of Caraman,' the
captal of Uuch, the lonl of Terride, the
viscount of Castellxjn, the lord of Lescun,
the loni of Rauzan, the Ivnxi of I.«s(xurre,
the lorvl of Caumont> the Kird of Mussidan,
the lord i>f Curton, the lord of Puycomel
was, and it was shewed them how he was
at Windsor: and thither they went, and
were right welcome and well received both
with the king and with the queen, as well
because they were pertaining to the prince
their son, as also because they were lords
and kn^hts of great recommendation.
ami all the v^ther barons and knights of [ Then they delivered their letters to the
liasci>yne and of Beorn ; and also the carl ^ king, and the king opened and read them ;
of Foix was desired to o -»--***-- u„. u . __.» ...i — u. v.j . i--..i_ . ,. , .
would not, but excused
had a disease in his leg
but he sent thitlier his cv>unsel. 1 wise men of my council, and they shall
To this (wrliament thus holden in the I answer you with short expedition. This
city of Iknxleaux came all the earls, vis- ' answer pleased well these knights, and the
counts, l^an^ns and wise men of Act^uitaine,
of Sainlonge, IVilou, Quenrv, Limousin
and of liascv>yne : anvl when tney were all
next day they returned to London, and
withhi a short space after the king came to
Westminster, and with him the most createst
cv>me, they went to cvHincil three days on ! of his council, as his son the duke of
the state and orvlinance for this king don Lancaster, the earl of Arundel, the earl of
Peter of Sixun, who was al>^•ays there ! Salisbur)-, the earl of Manny,* sir Raynold
present in the cvmncil with the j>rince his Cobham, the earl Percy, the lord Nevill
cousin, reasonii^ always iv> loriify his and divers other : and prelates there were
quarrel and business. Finally the prince the bishop of Winchester, of Lincoln and
was cvHinsellevl that he shv^uKl senvl sutttcient , of London. And so they kept a great
messengers to the king his lather into Eng- 1 cvnmcil and a long upon the prince's letters,
lanvl, to know his counsel what he shvnild . and on his request that he had made to the
do in that case : and his pleasure and ' king his father. Finally it seemed to the
answer once known, then all the lv:wvts said king and hts council a thing due and
they would take counsel tocher, ami s».> reasonable for the prince to take on him, to
make the prince such an answer that of bring again the king of Spain into his own
reason he shvHiId be well cv>ntent. Then herita^, and to this they all openly agreed. '
there were chosen and named &>ur knights And thereup^Hi they wrote notable letters
of the princess, that shv.Hild go into England directed firom the king and from the coiincil
to the king, that is to say, sir Delaware, of England to the prince and to all the
sir Niel Loring, sir Jv.>hn and sir EUe of barons of Acquitaine, and so with these
Pommiers. letters the said messengers departed again
Thus then departevl ami brake up this to the city of Bordeaux, whereas they found
oxincil, ami every man went home to their the prince and the kii^ don Peter, to whom
own houses : and kii^ don Peter tarried they delivered letters from the king of
still at B».>rvleaux with the [^ince ami England.
princess, who did him much hv.>nour and Then was there a new day of coandl set
maie him great feast and cheer. And then to be had in the city of Bordeaux, and
the foresaid four knights de^xxrted, who thither came all such as were sent few.
were appointed to gv> into England, ami Then there was read openly in the council
:hey :ock shipping and s^xnI so well in the king of England's letters, the which
±eir ;:i:rr.ey by :ne h?flt» of Gvxi and the devised plainly how he would that the
w:-i. :hi: they arrivei Jt: Hampton, and prince hs son in the name of God and
tJiTfre res:e'-.l one v-Uy :o refresh them and to Saint Oeorge should take on him to set
.:r_>"-:7 :h^:r horses and corrligess and the again king vlon Feter into hts herita^
<v^c-:r'i ,:.iy :.vk their horses and rvxle st.^ the which his bastard brother wroogliilly
Icc^ :>jl: :hey c-ame :o the city of Lomlon. had taken trom him without reason, and
And ±ere they demanded where the kirg iilsety. as it appeareth. hath pot him
>T\»th*TOc«incofCaraBLw.i»i«h«Bcili«%i out thefeocl .\Iso the king's letters made
COUNCIL .
BAYONNE, 13^6
iGi
mention how he was much bound thi
because of certain alliances of old
made between him and the Icing of Caatlle
lus cousin, as to aid him, if case required,
if he were thereto desired. Wherefore
be; desired by his letters all his friends
uid subjects that the prince his son might
be aided and counselled by them as well
u though he were there present himself,
^nd when the barons of Acquitaine heard
•isil these letters and command men ts of
he king, and perceived the king's plea-
inre and the prince's their lord, then they
oyously answered and said : ' Sir, we shall
Jadly obey the king our sovereign lord's
ommandment ; it is reiison that we obey
ou and him, and so wc will do and serve
□n in this viage, and king don Feter
\ like wise. But, sir, we would know
ho should pay us our wages, for it will
e hard to get out men of war into a
range country?'^ Then the prince be-
;ld king don Peter and said : ' Sir king,
t hear what our people say: answer you
lem, for it behoveth yon to answer, seeing
le matters he yours.' Then the king
an Peter answered the prince and said ;
lUght dear cousin, as far as the gold,
Iver and treasure that I have brought
(her, which is not the thirtieth part so
uch as I have left behind me, as long as
lat will endure, I shall give and part
lerewith to your people.' Then the prince
id : ' Sir, ye say well ; and as for the
'mnanl, I shall become debtor to them
id pay them as the case requireth, the
hich I shall lend you, and all that we
sed till we come into Castile.' 'Sir,'
JOth the king don Peter, ' ye do me great
jurtesy and grace. '
And in this council there were divers
^e men, as the earl of Armagnac, the
oA of Pommiers, sir John Chandos, the
iptal of Buch and divers other, who con-
■ - ' that the pr' -
5 li*rd to take men of war inl
surety to have, because the king of
Navarre and Henry the bastard had newly
made alliance together. So thus there was
much communing how they might do to
achieve their purpose : then was it deter-
mined that there should be another day
assigned of a council to be kept al the city
of Bayunne, and that the prince should send
sufHcient ambassadors to the king of Na-
varre, desiring him to be at that council in
Bayonne. And so on this determination
every man departed, fully concluded to be
at Bayonne the day Umited and prefixed.
In the mean season the prince sent sir
John Chandos and sir Thomas Felton to
the king of Navarre, who was as then in
the city of Pampelone. These two sage
and well-languaged knights did so much
that they came to the king of Navarre,
who made iailhful covenant by word and
by writing sealed to be at the said parlia-
ment at Bayonne, and thereon the messen-
gers returned again to the prince and
shewed him these tidings.
The day assigned of mSs, parliament there
came to the city of Bayonne the king of
Spain don Peter, the prince, the earl of
Armagnac, the lord d'Albret, and all the
barons of Gascoyne, Poitou, Quercy, Kouer-
gue, SainlongeandLiroousin. And thither
came personally the king of Navarre,
and the prince and king don Fetei did
him great honour, becanse they thought
the better to speed with him. So thus in
the city of Bayonne there was a great
council, the which endured five days, and
the prince and his council had much to do
or they could bring the king of Navarre to
their desire ; for he was a man not easy to
be won, if he saw that men had any need
of him. Howbeit, the great power of the
e brought him into that cose, that
finally he sware, promised and sealed to
kSng don Peter peace, love and firm aUi-
and confederation. And in like
ler king don Peter did to him upon
in compositions that were there or-
dained ; of the which the prince of Wales
" " a mean between them and chief de-
thereof : the which was, thai the king
don Peter, as king of all Castile, gave,
sealed and accorded to the king of Navarre
and to his heirs for ever all the land of
Logrono, as it lielh on both sides the
' and also all the land and country of
1 62
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Sauveterre,^ with the town, castle and all
the appurtenances, also the town of Saint
John de Pied -de -Port and the marches
thereabout, the which lands, towns, castles
and seignories he had taken from him by
force ; and also that the king of Navarre
should have twenty thousand franks for the
opening of his country, and to suffer pass
peaceably all manner of men of war, and
to minister to them victuals and purvey-
ances for their money, of the which sum of
florins the king don Peter became debtor
to the king of Navarre. And when the
barons of Acquitaine knew that this treaty
was made and confirmed, then they de-
sired to know who should pay them their
wages ; and the prince, who had great affec-
tion toward this viage, became debtor
to them for their wages, and the king
don Peter became debtor to the prince.
And when all these things were ordained
and fully confirmed, and that every man
knew what he ought to do and what he
should have, and that they had sojourned
there the space of twelve days, then the
king of Navarre departed home into his
own country, and all other lords departed
every man to his own, and the prince went
to Bordeaux and the king don Peter tarried
still at Bayonne.
Then the prince sent his heralds into
Spain to certain knights and captains.
Englishmen and Gascons, favourable and
obeisant to him, signifying them how that
it was his pleasure that they should take
their leaves of Henry the bastard and come
to him, saying how he had need of them
and was of the intent to employ and occupy
them otherwise. And when these heralds
had brought these letters into Castile to
these knights from the prince, and that
they perceived the prince's pleasure, then
they took their leave of kmg Henry as
soon as they could in courteous manner
without discovering of the prince's inten-
tion. Then this bastard king Henry, who
was right liberal, courteous and honour-
able, gave them licence with many great
gifts, and thanked them greatly of their
service. So then departed from Spain sir
Eustace d'Aubrecicourt, sir Hugh Cal-
verley, sir Walter Hewet, sir Matthew
Gournay, sir John Devereux and their com-
pany, and divers other knights and squires,
1 Salvadcna.
the which I cannot all name, of the prince's
house, and they departed as shortly as they
might. The same season the companions
were spread abroad in the country and
knew nothing what these said knights did :
howbeit, when they knew it, they gathered
together, as sir Robert Briquet, John
Creswey, sir Robert Cheyne, sir Perducas
d'Albret, sir Garsis du Cnastel, Naudan of
Bageran, the bourg of Lesparre, the bourg
Camus and the bourg Breteuil. And this
bastard king Henry knew not that the
prince was in a mmd to bring again his
brother don Peter into Castile, so soon as
these knights did : for if he had known it,
they should not have departed so soon as
they did ; for he might well have letted
them, if he had known it. So these
knights departed, and as soon as king
Henry knew thereof, he made no great
semblant of it, but said to sir Bertram of
Guesclin, who was still about him : * Sir
Bertram, behold the prince of Wales ; it is
shewed us that he will make us war and
bring again that Jew who calleth himself
king of Spain by force into this our realm.
Sir, what say you thereto?' Sir Bertram
answered and said : * Sir, he is so valiant
a knight, that if he take on him the enter-
prise, he will do his power to achieve it, if
he may. Therefore, sir, I say to you,
cause your passages and straits on all sides
to be well kept, so that none may pass nw
enter into your realm but by your licence :
and, sir, keep your people in love : I know
certainly ye shall have in France many
knights and great aid, the which gladly \rill
serve you. Sir, by your licence I will return
thither ; and in the mean time keep your
people in love, and I know well I shall
find in France many friends, and, sir, I
shall get you as many as I can.' * By my
faith,' quoth king Henry, *ye say well,
and I shall order all the remnant according
to your will.* And so within a little space
after sir Bertram departed and went into
Aragon, where the king received him joy-
ously ; and there he tarried a fifteen days
and then departed and went to Mont-
pellier, and there found the duke of Anjou,
who also received him joyously, as he
whom he loved right entirely: and when
he had been there a season, he departed
and went into France to the king, who
received him with great joy.
r
THE COMPANIES QUIT SPAIN
163
CHAPTER CCXXXIl
agon, and of the niBn that the pr
for, and how the printe was ci
IlilAK Y.—Tki men of the cempanies,
laislied to Uaoe Castile and come into
lilaine, ivtre barred from the passts by
king of Aragon. Finally sir John
ides ollained them n passage from Ike
}/Fair. The prince of WaUs collecled
' sums nf money Jrsm England and
here to matntain nun of war, and the
J'Albret f remised to seme him with a
and spears. IHianv)hili one division
the Btrl of Narbomie cndeavtmi
them. A bailie was fought at MohI-
II, in which finally the French were
ted, and the setseschal of Tsulause, Ike
of Narbonne, the seneschal of Carcas-
: and many other knights were taken
CHAPTER CCXXXIII
these com panto
:i thar prisoners
part on tDeir iitllhs, hut the pope ije-
ided Ihem to pay any ransom ; and of
: word? that the king of Mallorca had
the prince, and of the departing of the
nee to go into Spain.
iR the discomfilnire and taking of
iaid prisoners, the said sir Ferducas
jtel, sir Robert Cheyne, sir John Trivet,
>ourg ofBreteuil, Nsu<lan of Bagetan
iheii company parted their booty and
icir winning, whereof they hud great
y, and all such as bad any prisoners
them still to their own profit, other lo
im or to quit them at their pleasure.
they ransomed their prisoners right
eously, every man after bis degree,
iiore courteously becanse this adven-
:ame 10 them so ibrlunately by valianl-
of deeds of arms ; and such as were
n Iheir failh and promise had days
L.
limited to them to bring their ransoms to
Bordeaux or to other places, whereas they
were appointed. So the prisoners departed
and went home into their own countries,
and these companions went to the prince,
who received them right joyously and sent
ibem to lodge and to abide in the marches
of Basque among the mountains.
1 ' shall shew you what befell of this
matter and of the earl of Narbonne, the
seneschal of Toulouse and other, who were
put to ransom and had promised on their
^ths to pay it. In the same season there
was at Rome pope Urban the iifih, who
entirely hated these manner of people of
companions and had long time before
cursed them because of the villain deeds
that they had done. So that when he was
informed of this said journey, and how the
eari of Narbonne and other were over,
ivn, he was sore displeased therewith,
and suffered till he heard how they were
put to their ransom and come home into
their own countries and out of their
enemies' hands. Then he sent to each oi
them and by express words defended them
in any wise lo pay any ransom, and ossojled
them of their promise. Thus these knights
and lords were quitted of their ransom,
such as had been taken at Montauban, for
they durst not trespass the pope's com-
mandment: the which happed well for these
lords, knights and squires, but it fortuned
evil for the companions, who abode and
looked ever for their money, trusting to
have had it to [have] arrayed and ap-
parelled them like men of war, and so they
made great preparation on trust thereof,
whereof they were deceived. So this
ordinance of the pope was right contagious
to them, and they complained oftentimes
thereof lo sir John Chandos, who was con-
Stable of Acquitainc and had the oversight
by right of arms in such matters ; howbeit,
he dissimuled with them as well as he
might, because he knew well the pope
had cursed them and how that all their
deeds tunned to pilling and robbery ; and
as far as ever I could hear, they had never
other remedy in that matter.
Now let us speak of the prince of Wales
and approach to his viage and shew how he
persevered. First, as it bath been shewed
here before, he did so much that be had
all the companions of his accord, who were
i
164
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
to the number of twelve thousand fighting
men, and greatly it was to his cost to
retain them. And after he had them, he
sustained and bare their charges, or they
departed out of the principality, from the
l)eginning of August to the beginning of
February ; and beside that the prince re-
ceivetl and retained all manner of men of
war, wheresoever he could get them. And
also the foresaid king Henry retained men
of war in every part out of the realm of
France and other places, and they came to
serve him l)ecause of the alliances that
were between the French king and him ;
and also he had with him retained some
of the companions Bretons, such as were
favourable to sir Bertram of Guesclin, as
sir Silvester Bude, Alain of Saint- Pol, Wil-
liam of Breuil, and Alain of Laconet, all
these were captains of those a^mpanions.
And the prince might have had also with him
many strangers men of war, as Flemings,
Almains and Brabances, if he had list ;
but he sent home again many of them,
for he had rather have had of his own
subjects of the principality than strangers.
Also there came to him a great aid out of
England ; for when the king of England
his father knew that this viage went for-
ward, then he gave licence to one of his
sons, duke John of Lancaster, to go to the
prince of Wales his brother with a great
number of men of war, as four hundred
men of arms and four hundred archers.
And when the prince knew of his brother's
coming, he was thereof right joyous.
In the same season came to the prince to
Bordeaux James king of Mallorca, so he
called himself, but he had in possession
nothing of the realm, for the king of Aragon
kept it from him by force and had slain in
prison the king of Mallorca in a city called
Barcelone. Therefore this young king
James, to revenge the death of his £ither
and to recover his heritage, was fled out of
his own realm to the prince ; and he had
marrievl the queen of Naples. The prince
made him great cheer and greatly comforted
hitn : and when the king had shewed the
prince all the reasons and occasions of his
coming, and perceivetl the wrong that the
king of Aragon had done to him, as in
keeping from him his inheritance, and also i
slain his father, then the prince said : * Sir !
king, I promise you faithfully that after my .
return out of Spain I shall intend to set
you again into your heritage other by
treaty or by force.* This promise pleased
greatly the king, and so he tarried still with
the prince in Bordeaux abiding his depart-
ing as other did. And the prince, to do
him more honour, caused to be delivered to
him all that was for him necessary, because
he was a stranger and of a far country, and
had not there of his own after his appetite.
And daily there came great complaints to
the prince of the companions, how they
did much hurt to men and women of the
country where they lay, so that the people
of that marches would gladly that the prince
should advance forth in his viage, to the
which the prince was right desirous. How-
beit, he was counselled that he should suffer
the feast of Christmas first to pass, to the
intent that they might have winter at their
backs; to the which counsel the prince
inclined, and somewhat because the princess
his wife was great with child, who took much
thought for his departing ; wherefore the
prince would gladly see her deUvered or he
departed, and she on her part was gladder
to nave him abide.
All this mean season there was great
provision made for this viage, because they
should enter into a realm where they should
find but small provision; and while they
thus sojourned at Bordeaux, and that all the
country was full of men of war, the prince
kept oftentimes great council ; and among
other things, as I was informed, the lord
d'Albret viras countermanded with his thou-
sand spears, and a letter was sent to him
from tne prince containing thus : * Sir
d'Albret, sith it b so that we have taken
on us by our vduntaiy will this viage, the
which we intend shortly to proceed, con-
sidering our great business, chai^^ and
diseases that we have, as well by strangers,
such as entered into our service, as by great
number of the companions, the which
number is so great that we mil not leave
them behind us for perils that may ensue,
and also to see how the land may be kept
in mine absence, for all may not go nw yet
all abide behind ; therefore it is ordained
by us and by our council that in this viage
ye shall serve us but with two hundred
spears, and discharge you of the residue
and let them do what them list : and thus
God keep you. From Bordeaux the seventh
PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXPEDITION
I6S
diiy of December.' These letters, sealed
wild the prince's great sea!, were sent }o
the lord d'Albrel, who was in his own
Fountiy right busy to prepare him toward
Ihis viage, for it vas said that the prince
should depart shortly. When he saw the
pKnce's letters, he opened theni and read
ihem two times over, the better to under-
stand them, for he had great marvel of that
he had found written in them, and was in
his mind marvellously displeased, and said :
' How is it that my lord the prince japeth
and mocketh thus with me, sith he would that
I should give leave to depart eight hundred
spears, knights and squires, whom by his
commandment I have retained and have let
them of their profit divers other ways.'
And incontinent in that displeasure he
called for his clerk and caused htm to write
a lelterlo theprmcein thismanner: 'Dear
sir, I am greatly nmrvelled of the letters ye
have sent me; and, sir, I cannot well Hnd
nor lake counsel how I ought or can answer
you in that behalf, for it turneth to mygreat
prejudice and blame, and to all my company,
whom I have by your own ordinance and
comtnandment retained, and they ore all
reajly apparelled to do you service, and I
have letled them of taking their prolit
in other places, whereas they might have
had it ; for some of them were determined
lo have gone over the sea into Pruce, to
Constan tine, and loJerusalcm,as all knights
and squires doth, to advance themselves.
Sir, they have great marvel and are sore
displeased that they should thus be put out,
and in like wise I have great marvel thereof
and in what manner f have deserved it.
Dear sir, please it you to know, I cannot
assure you of any of them divided from
their company. 1 am the least and worst
of Iheni all : if any depart, I am in surety
Ihey will all depart. God keep you in his
safeguard. \Vritten,'etc. When the prince
heard this answer, he took it of great
presumption, and so did divers knights of
Kt^land that were there of his council.
Then the prince shook his head and said
in English, as I was informed, for I was
then in Bordeaux: 'Ah,' said the prince,
' the lord d'Albret is a great master in my
country, when he will break the ordinance
that is devised by my council. Bji God it
shall not go as he weenelh. lx\. him abide,
*ie will, for without his thousand spears
I trust to God I shall furnish my viage.'
Then certain knights of England thai were
there said : ' .Sir, ye know till] little the
minds of these Gascons, nor how proud
theybe, nor they love us but little nor never
did. Sir, remember ye not how highly and
greatly they bare themselves against you in
the city of Bordeaux, when that king John
of France was first brought thither ? They
said then and maintained plainly that by
them all only ye attained to achieve that
viage in taking of the king. And that
right well appeared ; for ye were in great
treaty with them the space of four months.
behoved you to satisfy their minds, to keep
them in love.' And at those words the
prince held his peace, howbeit his thought
was never the less. This was the fcst
occasion of the hatred that was after be-
tween the prince and the lord d'Albret.
Thus the lord d'Albret was in great peril ;
for the prince was high and of great courage
and cruel in his heart, for he would other
by right or wrong that every lord under his
commandment should hold of him. But
the earl of Ann agnac, uncle to the said lord
d'Albret, when he heard of this displeasure
between the prince and the lord d'Albret
his nephew, then he came lo Bordeaux to
the prmce, and sir John Chandos and sir
Thomas Felton with him, by whose counsel
the prince was much ordered : and so by
their good means the prince's displeasure
was appeased, so that the lord d'Albret
should bring no more but two hundred
spears ; with the which he was nothing
joyous, nor yet his people, nor never after
he loved so entirely the prince as he did
before. Howbeit there was no remedy but
to bear and pass over his trouble as well as
he might.
Thus, while the prince was making nf his
provision and abiding the coming of his
brother the duke of Lancaster, the princess
travailed, and through the grace of God she
was delivered of a feir son on Ihe day of
the three kings of Cologne, the which was,
as that year went, on a Wednesday, at the
hour of three or thereabout. Whereof the
prince and all his people were right joyous ;
and the Friday after he was christened at
noon in Ihe church of Saint Andrew in the
city of Bordeaux. The archbishop of the
i66
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
same place christened him, and the bishop
of Agen in Agenois and the king of
Mallorca were his godfathers. And this
child had to name Richard, who was after-
ward king of England, as ye shall hear in
this history.
The Sunday after, the hour of prime,
departed from Bordeaux the prince with
great triumph, and all other men of war.
Howbeit the most part of his host were
passed on before and lay about the city of
Ast in Gascoyne, and the prince the same
Sunday at night came to the same city and
there tarried a three days ; for then it was
shewed him that the duke of Lancaster his
brother was coming and had passed the sea
a five days before and was arrived in
Bretayne at Saint Matthew's of Fine-Pos-
terne,^ and so was come to Nantes, where
the duke of Bretayne greatly feasted him.
Then the duke of Lancaster passed through
Poitou and Saintonge and came to Blaye,
and there passed the river of Gironde and
so came to Bordeaux and went to the abbey
of 'Saint Andrew, where the princess lay,
who joyously received him, and so did all
other ladies and damosels that were there.
Then the duke thought to tarry there no
longer, but took his leave of his sister the
princess and departed with all his company,
and rode so long that he came to the city
of Ast, where he found the prince his
brother. They made great joy each of
other, for they loved together entirely :
there was great tokens of love shewed
between them and their company. And
anon after the duke of Lancaster's coming
thither came the earl of Foix and made
great reverence and cheer to the prince and
to his brother, and offered himself in all
points to be at their commandment. The
prince, who could well honour all lords
according to their estates, honoured him
greatly and thanked him of his coming
thither ; and after the prince gave him the
charge of his country in his absence, de-
siring him to keep it well till his return.
The earl joyously accorded to his desire,
and then took leave and departed home into
his country ; and the prince and the duke
J Saint-Matthieu-de-Fine-terre, a Benedictine
abbey at the extremity of Brittany. From the
Latin name, Sanctus Matthems de Fine postremo^
Kroissart has made ' Saint-Mathieu-de-Fine-Pos-
terne.'
of Lancaster his brother sported them in the
city of Ast, and all their people spread
abroad in the country about the entry of
the passages of Navarre ; for as then they
were not in certain if they should pass that
way or not, yet the king of Navarre had
promised to open his passages : for words
ran through the host that newly he was
agreed with the king Henry, whereof the
prince and his council had great marvel and
the king don Peter was right sore displeased.
And in this mean season, while these
words thus ran, sir Hugh Calverley and his
people approached to Navarre and took the
city of Miranda and the town of the Queen's
Bridge,* whereof all the country was sore
affrayed, the which tidings came to the Idi^
of Navarre. And when he perceived that
these companions would enter into his land
by force, he was sore displeased and wrote
word thereof to the prince : and the prince
let the matter pass briefly, because the king
of Navarre, as he thought, kept not true
promise with king don Peter. Then the
prince wrote to him that he should excuse
nimself of the words that was laid on him ;
for it was there openly said that he was
clean turned to king Henry. And when
the king of Navarre understood that treason
was laid on him, then he was more angij
than he was before. Then he sent a knight
to the prince, called sir Martin Carra ; he
came to the city of Ast to excuse the king
of Navarre, and he demeaned himself so
wisely that the prince was appeased of his
displeasure, so that the same knight shonld
return into Navarre to the king his master,
causing him to come to Saint -John's de
Pied -de- Port, ^ and the prince to take coun-
sel if he should go and speak with him, or
else to send sufficient messengers to ham.
Thus this sir Martin Carra departed from
the prince and returned into Navarre to the
king, and shewed him how he had sped
and in what condition he had found the
prince and his council, and also on what
condition he was departed from them.
This knight did so much that he brought
the king of Navarre to Saint-John's, Mid
then he went to the city of Ast to the
prince. And when the prince knew that
the king of Navarre was at Saint-John's de
Pied-de-Port, then he determined to send
1 Puenlc-la-reyna.
2 Saint- Jean-Pied-de-Port.
THE PASSAGE OF THE MOUNTAINS, 1367
167
the duke of Lancaster his brothei
sir John ChandoE ; nnd so these two
Bwitb a smatt company rode to the town
Saint-John's vpith this said knight, and
le the king of Navarre received them
right jofously, and there had long counsel
together. Finally it was accorded that the
king of Navarre should approach nearer to
the prince to a certain place called Peyre-
horade, and thither the prince and king don
Peter should cotne to speak with him and
there to renew all theSr covenants and there
each of ihem to know what they shoii
have. Ait that the king of Navarre did
before was to the intent to be the better
assured of their promises than he thought
himself he was : for he doubted that if the
companions were entered into his country,
and this treaty and accord between them
not sealed, then he feared he should not
have that he desired, when he would.
On this treaty returned the duke of
Lancaster and sir John Chandos, and re-
counted to the prince and to king don
Peter howlheyhad sped ; the which pleased
them right well, and so kept their (lay and
esiiie to the place assignM, and also the
king of Navarre and the most special of his
council. And there were these three lords,
the king don t'eler, the prince of Wales and
the duke of Lancaster on the one party, and
the king of Navarre on the other party,
long communing together ; and there it was
devised and accorded what every man should
have, and there was renewed the treaty among
specially in France it was supposed that he
should not pass that way, but rather that
the king of Navarre should have broken
his viage, the which fell contrary. And
when these knights and squires' knew the
certainty thereof and perceived that the
passages were opened, then they advanced
themselves as fast as they might, for they
knew well that the prince would pass shortly
and not return again without battle.
Thither came the lord Clisson with a feir
company of men of arms, and at last came
with an evil will the lord d'AIhret with two
hundred spears, and all that viage he kept
company with the captal of Buch. And all
this matter and confederations knowledge
thereof was had in France, for always there
were messengers coming and going, report-
ing alway that they knew or heara. And
when sir Bertram of GuescUn, who was
with the duke of Anjou, knew how the
prince was passed and how the passages of
Navarre were opened to them, then he en-
forced his summons and thought surely the
matter should not be ended without battle.
Then he took his way toward Aragon to
come to king Henry as fast as he might,
and all manner of people followed him,
of the realm of France and other places,
such as thought to advance themselves to
CITAPTER CCXXXIV
the realm of Castile, and king don Peter
and he swore gcKid love, peace and con-
federation between Ihem and departed
amiably asunder j and then their host
might pass when it pleased Ihem, for the
passages and straits were opened ami
victuals apparelled through all the realm ol
Navarre for their money.
Then the king of Navarre went to the
city of Pampelone, and the prince and his
brother and king don Peter went to the city
of Ast. And as then ihwe were divers
knights and lords of Poitou, of Bretayne
ana of Gascmne not come to the prince's
host, but larned behind; for as it hath been
said before it was not fully known whether
the prince should have passage or not, till
the end of this treaty was concluded ; and
Brtween Saint-John's de Pied -de- Port and
the city of Pampelone under the mountains
there are straits and perilous passages, for
there is a hundred places on the same pas-
sages that a hundred* men may keep a
passage against all the world. Also it was
at the same season very cold, for it was
about the month of Fehruary when they
passed. But or they passed, they took
wise counsel how and by what means they
should pass ; for it was shewed them plainly
that they could not pass alt at once, and
therefore they ordained that they should
pass in three battles three sundry days, as
the Monday, Tupiday and Wednesday ; the
Monday the vaward, whereof was captain
the duke of Lancaster, and in his compaoir
168
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
the constable of Acquitaine sir John Chan-
dos, who had twelve hundred pennons of
his crms, the field silver, a sharp pile gules,
and with him was the two marshals of
Acquitaine, as sir Guichard d'Angle and sir
Stephen Cosington, and with them was the
pennon of Saint George. There was also sir
William Beauchamp, son to the earl of
Warwick, sir Hugh Hastings, and the lord
Nevill, who served sir John Chandos with
thirty spears in that viage at his own charge
because of the taking of the battle of
Auray ; ^ and also there was the lord
d'Aubeterre, sir Garsis of the Castle, sir
Richard of Tanton, sir Robert Cheyne, sir
Robert Briquet, John Creswey, Amery of
the Rochechouart, Gaillard of la Motte,
William of Clifton, Willekos the Butler and
Penneriel. All these were there with their
pennons under sir John Chandos' rule :
they were to the number of ten thousand
horses, and all these passed the Monday,
as is before said.
The Tuesday passed the prince of Wales
and king don Peter, and also the king of
Navarre, who was come again to the prince
to bear him company and to ensign him the
ready passage. And with the prince there
was sir Louis of Harcourt, the viscount of
Chatelleraut, the viscount of Rochechouart,
the lord of Partenay, the lord of Poyane,
the lord of Tannay - Bouton, and all the
Poitevins, sir Thomas Felton, great seneschal
of Acquitaine, sir William his brother, sir
Eustace d'Aubrecicourt, the seneschal of
Saintonge, the seneschal of Rochelle, the
seneschal of Quercy, the seneschal of
Limousin, the seneschal of Agenois, the
seneschal of Bigorre, sir Richard of Pont-
chardon, sir Niel Loring, sir d'Aghorisses,
sir Thomas Banaster, sir Louis of Melval,
sir Raymond of Mareuil, the lord of Pierre-
buffiere, and to the number of four thousand
men of arms, and they were a ten thousand
horses. The same Tuesday they had evil
passage because of wind and snow : how-
beit they passed forth and lodged in the
county of Pampelone, and the king of
Navarre brought the prince and the king
don Peter into the <:ity of Pampelone to
supper and made them great cheer.
1 That is, in quittance of his ransom, because
made prisoner at Auray ; but it was not the lord de
Neufville of whom this should be said, but the lord
de Retz, whose name has dropped out.
The Wednesday passed the king James
of Mallorca and the earl of Armagnac, the
earl d^Albret his nephew, sir Bernard
d'Albret, lord of Geronde, the earl of
Perigord, the viscount of Caraman, the
earl of Comminges, the captal of Buch, the
lord of Clisson, the three brethren of
Pommiers, sir John, sir Elie and sir
Aymenion, the lord of Caumont, the lord
of Mussidan, sir Robert Knolles, the lord
Lesparre, the lord of Condom, the lord of
Rauzan, sir Petiton of Carton, sir Ajrmery
of Tastes, the lord de la Barthe, sir Bertram
of Tastes, the lord of Puycornet, sir Thomas
of Winstanley, sir Perducas d'Albret, the
bourg of Breteuil, Naudan of Bageran,
Bernard de la Salle, Ortingo, I'Amit and
all the other of the companions, and they
were a ten thousand horse. They had more
easy passage than those that passed the
day before ; and so all the whole host
lodged in the county of Pampelone, abiding
each other, refreshing them and their
horses.
They lay still thus about Pampelone the
space of three days, because they found the
country plentiful both in flesh, bread, wine
and all other purveyances for them and for
their horses. Howbeit these companions
paid not for everything, as was demanded
of them, nor they could not abstain from
robbing and pilling that they could get ; so
that about Pampelone and in the way they
did much trouble and hurt, wherewith the
king of Navarre was right sore displeased, ,
but he could not as then amend it : but he
repented him oftentimes that he had opened
his passages to the prince and to his com-
pany, for he perceived well how he had
thereby more hurt than profit. Howbeit the
season was not then for him to say all that
he thought, for he saw well and considered
that he was not as then master of his own
country. So he had daily great complaints
made to him of one and other of his country,
wherewith his heart was sore constrained
for displeasure, but he could not remedy
it. Howbeit he caused some of his council,
such as knew well these companions and
had been in their company in France, in
Normandy and in divers other places, to
desire them to abstain themselves from
robbing and pilling the country as they did;
to whom they promised so to do.
PREPARATIONS OF KING HENRY
169
CHAPTER CXiy^^'^
Bumnion him to fight, and Low sir O
of Manny look the king of Nav
King Henry of Spain was well informed
of the I
i pa.'isagt:,
r he had hLs
messengers and spies daily coming and
going : therefore he provided for men of
anna and commons of the realm of Castile
lo the intent to resist the prince and his
brother don Peter, and daily he tarried for
Ibe coming of sir Bertram 01 Cuesclin with
great succours trnt of France. And he had
tent a i>pecia] commandment throughout
lU his realm to all his auhjects on pain of
Jieir lives, goods and lands, that every
nan according to his estate other afoot or
l-horseback to come lo him to aid and
iefend his realm ; and this king Meniy
iras well beloved, and also Ihcy of Castile
lad before much pain and trouble to aid
•ft make him king, therefore they obeyed
Lohim the rather ; and so daily they r^cHled
;o him to Saint Dominic ' to the number of
ihreescoTC thousand men afoot and a-horse-
3ack, all ready to do his commandment
uid pleasure, and to live and die with him,
f need require.
And when this king Henry heard certain
word how the prince with all his host was
n the realm of Navarre and had passed
ihe straits of Roncesvaulx, then he knew
well (here was remedy but to fight with
the prince, of the which he made semblani
:o be right joyous, and said openly on high ;
' Ah, the prince of Wales is a valiant knight,
tnd because he shall know that this is my
right and that I abide and look to fight
with him, I will write lo him part of mine
litenf Then he sent for a clerk and he
ivrole n letter thus : ' To the right puissant
tnd honourable lord prince of Wales and
f^cqnitaine. It is given ua to knowledge
hat you and your people are passed the
lortsand are drawing hither ward, and how
hal ye have made accord and alliance
rilh our enemy, and thai your intent is to
nake war agauist us. We have thereof
[teat marvel, for we never forfeited to you,
■ San Domingo de la Calisda.
nor would not d<
come with such
to take from us s
hath given usP
fortune '~
Wherefore then are ye
great army thus on ua,
iltle an heritage as God
'e have ihe grace and
than any prince
living ; wherefore we think ye glorify
yourself in your puissance : and because
we knew the certainty that ye seek to give
us battle, we will that ye know thai where-
soever ye enter into Castile ye shall find us
before you to keep and defend this our
seignory. Written,' etc. And when this
letter was sealed, he called to him an herald
and said : * Go Ihy way as fast as thou
mayst to Ihe prince of Wales, and bear
him this letter from me.' So the herald
down and delivered him the lelter from
king Henry. The prince read the letter
a two times, the better lo understand it,
and then he sent for certain of his council
and made the herald to depart a little
aside. Then the prince read the letter to
his council, demanding them advice in that
matter ; and in the mean season the prince
said to his council : 'Ah, 1 see well this
bastard is a stout knight and full of great
prowess, and sheweth great hardiness thus
to write to us.' Thus the prince and his
council were long li^cther ; howbeit linally
they agreed not lo write again by Ihe herald.
Then it was shewed to him how he most
abide a season, for the prince at his pleasure
would write again by him and by none
other : therefore he was commanded to
larry til! he had his answer. Thus the
herald tarried there still at his ease and
pleasure.
The same day that ihe herald brought
these letters, sir Thomas Fellon advanced
himself forth and demanded of the prince a
gift. Then the prince enquired of him
what it was that he wonld desire. 'Sir,'
quoth he, ' I require you to give me licence
to depart out of your host and lo ride on
iiefore. There be divers knights and squires
of my company desiring lo advance them-
selves ; and, sir, I promise you we shall
ride so forward, that we shall know the
behaving of our enemies and what way
they draw and where they lodge.' The
prince granted him with right a good will
his request, whereof he thanked the prince
and so departed out of the host as chief
I70
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
captain of that enterprise ; and in his com-
pany was sir William Felton his brother,
sir Thomas du Fort, sir Robert KnoUes,
sir Gaillard Vigier, sir Ralph Hastings, sir
d*Aghorisses and divers other knights and
squires ; and they were a seven score, and
three hundred archers, all well horsed and
good men of arms. And also there was sir
Hugh Stafford, sir Richard Tanton and sir
Simon Burley, who ought not to be for-
gotten. These men of arms rode through
Navarre by such guides as they had and
came to the river of Ebro, the which is
rude and deep ; and so they passed and
lodged in a village called Navaret : there
they held themselves, the better to know
and hear where king Henry was.
In the mean season, while these knights
thus lodged at Navaret and the prince in
the marches of Pampelone, the same time
the king of Navarre was taken prisoner, as
he rode from one town to another, by
the French party by sir Oliver of Mauny,
whereof the prince and all his part had
great marvel. And some in the prince's
host supposed it was done by a cautel by
his own means, because he would convey
the prince no further nor go in his company,
because he knew not how the matter should
go between king Henry and king don
Peter. Howbeit, the queen his wue was
thereof sore dismayed and discomforted,
and came and kneeled on her knees before
the prince and said : * Dear sir, for God's
sake have mercy and intend on the deliver-
ance of the king my husband, who is taken
fraudulently and as yet cannot be known
how. Therefore, sir, we desire you for
the love of God that we may have him
again. ' Then the prince answered : * Cer-
tainly, fair lady and cousin, his taking to
us is right displeasant, and we trust to
provide remedy for him shortly. Where-
fore we desire you to comfort yourself ; for
this our viage once achieved, we shall
intend to no other thing but for his deliver-
ance.' Then the queen of Navarre re-
turned. And there was a noble knight,
sir Martin Carra, who undertook to guide
the i^rince through the realm of Navarre,
and did get him guides for his people : for
otherwise they could not have kept the
right way through the straits and perilous
passage. So thus the prince departed from
♦hence, thereas he was lodged, and he and
his company passed through a place named
Sarris,^ the which was right perilous to
pass, for it was narrow and an evil way.
There were many sore troubled for lack of
victual, for they found but little in that
passage till they came to Sauveterre.
Sauveterre is a good town and is in a
good country and a plentiful, as to the
marches thereabout.' This town is at the
utter bounds of Navarre and on the entering
into Spain. This town held with king
Henry. So then the prince's host spread
abroad that country, and the companions
advanced themselves to assail the town of
Sauveterre and to take it by force and to
rob and pill it, whereunto they had great
desire because of the great riches that they
knew was within the town, the which they
of the country had brought thither on trust
of the strength of the town. But they of
the town thought not to abide that peril,
for they knew well they could not long
endure nor resist against so great an host
Therefore they came out and rendered
themselves to king don Peter, and cried
him mercy and presented to him the keys
of the town. The king don Peter by
counsel of the prince took them to ineny ;
or else he would not have done it, for by
his will he would have destroyed them all:
howbeit, they were all received to mercy,
and the prince, king don Peter and the
king of Mallorca with the duke of Lan-
caster entered into the town, and the earl of
Armagnac and all other lodged thereabout
in villages. Now let us leave the prince
there, and somewhat speak of his men that
were at the town of Navaret.
The foresaid knights that were there
greatly desired to advance their bodies;
for they were a five days* journey from
their own host, whereas they departed
from them first. And oftentimes they
issued out of Navaret and rode to the
marches of their enemies, to learn what
their enemies intended. And this king
Henry was lodged in the field, and all
his host, desiring greatly to hear tiding
of the prince, marvelling greatly that his
herald returned not. And oftentimes his
men rode near to Navaret to learn and to
hear some tidings of the Englishmen, and
1 Echarri.
2 'Selonch les marccs voisines,' *in cotnparisoo
with the neighbouring regions.'
r
THE PRINCE OF IVJLES AT NAVARETTA
171
■^aX don TeUo brother to the king don
ry was certainly informed that there
men of war in gaciison in the '
favarel, wherefore he thought ti
y the knights of England rode out of
uet in an evening so for forth, that
came to king Henry's lodging and
i there a great skirmish and maivel-
y awoke Ihe host and slew and took
s, and specially the knight that kept
catch WHS taken without recovery, and
turned again to Navaret without nny
ige. And the next day they sent to
irince an herald, who was a5 then at
eterre, signifying him what they had
and seen, and what puissance his
lies were of, and where they were
ni ; for they knew all this well by the
malion of such prisoners as they hail
joyous, in that lijs knights had 50
dines the princ
It his knights \
borne themselves on the fronlie
ng Henry, who was right sore dis-
,ed that the Englishmen that [ay at
Ltet had thus escried his host, said
he would approach nearer to his
lies, and so advanced forward. And
I sir Thomas Felton and his company
lavaret knew that king Henry was
^d Ihe water and drew forward to find
irince, then Ihey determined to depart
Navarel and to take the fields and lo
' more certainty of the Spaniards.
so they did, and sent word to the
e how that king Henry approached
and by seeming desiring greatly to
lim and his men. And the prince, who
IS then Qt Sauveterre, when he under-
thot king Henry was passed the
r and took his way lo come to fight
him, he was right joyous, and said
h that every man heard him : ' By
aith this tiastard Henry is a valiant
It and a hardy, lor it is sign of great
ess that he seekelh thus for us ;
iilh he doth so and we in like wise
l<^ether. Therefore it were good
°-% departed from hence, and go for-
"' ' 'o gel Viltoria, or our enemies
' And so the next morning
_ jTted from Sauveterre, first the '
F«ntl all his battle, and he did so
much that he came before Viltoria, and
there he found sir Thomas Felton and the
foresaid knights, to whom he made great
cheer and demanded them of divers things.
And as they were devising togclhei, their
currours came and repotted that they had
seen the curronrs of their enemies, wherefore
they knew for certain that king Henry and
his host was not far off by reason of the
demeaning that they had seen among the
Spaniards. When the prince understood
these tidings, he caused his trumpets to
sown and cried alarum throughout all the
host. And when every man heard that,
then they drew to their order and array
and ranged them in battle ready to fight;
for every man knew, or he departed from
Sauveterre, what he should do and what
order to lake, the which they did incon-
There might have been seen great noble-
ness, and banners and pennons beaten with
arms waving in the wind. What should
I say more? It was great nobleness lo
behold. The vaward was so well ranged
that it was marvel to behold, whereof (he
duke of Lancaster was chief and with him
sir John Chandos constable of Acquitaine
with a great company, and in those battles
there were made divers new knights. The
duke of Lancaster in the vaward made
new knights, as sir Ralph Camoys, sir
Walter Urswick, sir Thomas Dammery,
sir John Grandison and other lo the
number of twelve ; and sir John Chandos
made divers English squires knighls, as
Gorton, Ointon, Prior, William of Faring-
don, Ameryof Rochechouarl, Gaillard de
la Motte and Robert Briquel. The prince
made first knight don Peter king of Spain,
sir Thomas Holland, son lo his wife the
princess, sir Hugh, sir Fhi!ip and sir Peter
Courteoay, sic John Trivet and Nicholas
Bond and divers other : and in like wise
so did divers other lords in their battles.
There were made Ihat day three hundred
new knights or more, and all that day they
were still ready ranged in the battle to
abide for their enemies, but they came no
farther forward that day hut thereas the
currours had seen them ; for king Henry
tarried for succours that should come lo
out of Aragon, and specially for sir
Bertram of Guesclin, who was c(
him with a four thousand fighting
la^^k
172
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
without them he thought he would not
fight ; whereof the prince was right joyous,
for his arearguard, wherein were six thousand
men, was behind him a seven leagues of
that country, whereof the prince was sore
displeased in his heart that they tarried so
long. Howbeit, if his enemies had come
on forward the same day, he was fully
determined to have received and fought
with them.
And in the same evening the two
marshals, sir d' Angle and sir Stephen
Cosington, commanded every man to draw
to their lodging, and in the next morning
to be ready at sowning of the trumpets,
every man in the same order as they had
been all that day : and so every man obeyed
saving sir Thomas Felton and such com-
pany as he had before. The same evening
they departed from the prince and rode
forward a two leagues nearer to their
enemies, to know what they did. And
that evening the earl don Tello, brother to
king Henry, was with him in his lodging
and talked together of divers deeds of arms
and adventures : and at last he said to his
brother : * Sir, ye know well our enemies
are lodged not far from us, and yet there
is none that hath aviewed them. Sir, I
require you give me leave that in the
morning I may ride toward them with a
certain number, such as hath great desire
so to do ; and, sir, I promise you I shall
ride so near them that we will bring you
certain knowledge what they do.* And
this king Henry, when he saw the desire
of his brother, agreed thereto lightly. The
same proper hour sir Bertram of Guesclin
came to their host with a three thousand
fighting men of France and of Aragon ;
whereof the king and all his company were
right joyous, and honourably received him
and his company. The earl don Tello
forgat not his purpose, but desired such to
go as pleased him, and would, gladly have
desired sir Bertram of Guesclin and sir
Arnold d'Audrehem, the Begue of Villaines
and the viscount of Roquebertin of Aragon,
but because they were so lately come to
the host, he let them alone, and also the
king Henry charged him in no wise to
speak thereof. So the earl don Tello let
it pass and took with him other of France
and of Aragon, so that he was to the
'-'"ml>er of six thousand horses well appar-
elled, and with him his brother Sancho in
his company.
CHAPTER CCXXXVI
How certain of the company of the duke of
Lancaster's were discomfited, and of the
counsel that king Henry would not believe ;
and of the letters that the prince wrote to
king Henry, and of the counsel that sir
Bertram of Guesclin gave to the answer of
the same letters.
SUMMARY. — In the encounters of ad-
vanced parties king Henry hctd the better
and sir Thomas Felton and his company
were all slain or taken. The English host set
themselves in array on a certain hill. Sir
Arnold d'Audrehem counselled king Henry
to stop the passes and starve his enemies^
but he would not take that counsel, being
desirous to fight.
The chapter thus continues : —
The prince of Wales and the duke of
Lancaster were all the said day on the
mountain, and at night they were informed
of their men that were thus taken and
slain, wherewith they were sore displeased,
but they could not amend it. Then they
drew to their lodging, and the next morning
the prince took counsel and determined to
depart from thence, and so he did and
went and lodged before Vittoria, and there
stood in battle ready to fight, for it was
informed the prince how that king Henry
and his brother and their company were
not far thence ; but they came not forward.
The prince and his company had great lack
of victuals and provision for themselves and
for their horses, for they were lodged but
in an evil country and a hard, and king
Henry and his company lay in a good
fruitful country. In the prince's host a loaf
of bread was sold for a florin, every man
glad so to give, and more an they could
have got it ; also the time was foul and
troublous of wind, rain and snow ; and in
this danger and disease they were six days.
And when the prince saw that the Spaniards
came not forward to fight, and that they
were there in great distress, then they
determined to go and seek for passage at
some other place. Then they dislodged
■nd took Ihe way to Navaret, and passed
through a country called the countiy of the
Gardl* and when they were passed, then
Ihey came to a town called Viane. There
the prince and the duke of Lancaster re-
freshed them, and the earl of Armagnac
and the other lords, a two days. Then they
went and passed the river that deparLeth
Castile and Nasan-e at the htidge of Lc^-
rono among the gardens under the olives,
and there they found a. better country than
they were in before ; howbeit, they had
great default of victual. And when that
king Henry knew that the prince and his
people were passed the river at Logrono,
then he departed from Saint- Vincent, where
he had long lain, and went and lodged
before Naires' on the same river. When
Ihe prince heard that king Henry was
approached, he was right joyous and said
openly; 'By Saint Geotge this bastard
seemelh to he a valiant knight, sith he
dcsireth so sore to find us. I trust we shall
find each other shortly.' Then the prince
ca.lled to him the duke of Lancaster his
hiother and divers other of his council, and
then he wrote an answer to king Henry of
the letter that he had sent him before, the
lenour whereof foUoweth : ' Edward, by the
grace of God prince of Wales and Acqui-
Inine, to the right honourable and renowned
Henry earl of Trastemar, who at this
present time calleth himself king of Castile.
Sidi it is so that ye have sent to us youi
letters by your herald, wherein were con-
tained divers articles, making mention how
ye would ghidly know why we lake ti
friend and lover your enemy our consi
king don Peter, and by what title we make
you war and are entered with an army royal
iDto Castile, we answer thereto : know ye
for truth it is to sustain the right and to
maintain reason, as it appertaineth to all
kings and princes so to do, and also to
entertain the great alhances that the
(i[ England my dear father and king
1 LaGuardia.
1 Najara. _ The Frmch Ml followed hj
Navaretla and tinfira, which last is in the helKr
QHblt WheH
" >'«. 1
Peter have had long tt^cther. And be-
cause ye are renowned a right valiant
knight, we would gladly, an we could,
accord you and him tr^elher ; and we
shall do so much to our cousin don Peter
that ye shall have a great part of the reahn
' "astile, but as for the crown and berStBge.
must renounce. Sir, take counse! in
, case ; and as for our entering into
itile we will enter tbereas we think best
5ur own pleasure. Written at Lt^ono
the thirtieth day of March.'
When this letter was written, it was
closed and sealed, and delivered to the
herald thut brought the other and had
tarried for an answer more than three
weeks. Then he departed from the
presence of the prince, and rode so long
that he came to Nazres, among the bushes '
where king Henry was lodged, and drew to
the king's lodging. And the most part of
the great lords of the host came thither to
hear what tidiogs their herald had brought.
Then the herald kneeled down and delivered
the king the letter from the prince. The
king took and opened it and called to him
sir Bertram of Guesclin and divers other
knights of his couijcil. There Ihe letter
was read and well considered. Then sit
Bertram said to the king, ' Sir, know for
truth ye shall have battle shortly ; I know
so well the prince. Therefore, sir, look
well on the matter : it is necessary that ye
take good heed to all your bu^ness, and
order your people and your tattles.' 'Sir
Bertram,' quoth the king, 'be it in Ihe
name of God. The puissance of the prince
I doubt nothing, for I have three thousand
barded horses, the which shall he two
wings to our battle, and I have also seven
thousand genetours, and well twenty
thousand men of arms of the best that can
be found in all Castile, Galice, Portugal,
Cordowan and Seville, and ten thousand
good cross-bows, and threescore thousand of
other men afoot with darts, spears, lances
and other habilimenis for the war ; and all
these have sworn not to fail me to die in
the pain. Therefore, sir Bertram, I trust
to Mve victory by the grace of God, on
whom is my trust, and my right that I have
in the quarrel. Therefore, lords, I desire
yon all to be of good courage.'
i
174
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
CHAPTER CCXXXVII
How the prince commanded his people to be
ready to fight, and how king Henry
ordained his battles ; and how they fought
fiercely together, and of the comfort that
king Henry did to his people.
Thus, as ye have heard, king Henry and
sir Bertram of Guesclin devised together of
divers matters and left talking of the prince's
letter : for it was king Henry's intention to
have battle, and so intended to order his
field and people. The earl don Tello and
his brother sir Sancho were greatly re-
nowned in their host for the journey that
they had made before, as ye have heard.
The prince the Friday the second day of
April dislodged from Logrono and ad-
vanced forward arranged in battle ready to
fight, for he knew well that king Henry
was not far thence. And so that day he
advanced two leagues, and at three of the
day he came before Navaret and there took
his lodging. Then the prince sent forth
his currours to aview his enemies and to
know where they were lodged, and then
they departed firom the host and rode so
forward that they saw all their enemies'
host, who were lodged before Nazres.^ So
they brought report thereof to the prince,
and in the evening the prince caused secretly
to be shewed through all the host that at
the first sowning of the trumpets every man
to apparel himself, and at the second to be
armed, and at the third to leap a-horseback
and to follow the marshals' banners with
the pennon of Saint George, and that none
on pain of death advance before them with-
out he be commanded so to do.
In like manner as the prince had done
the same Friday in sending out his currours,
so did king Henry on his part, to know
where the prince was lodged. And when
he had true report thereof, then the king
called sir Bertram of Guesclin and took
counsel and advice how to persevere. Then
they caused their people to sup and after to
go to rest, to be the more fresher, and at
the hour of midnight to be ready apparelled
and to draw to the field and to ordain their
1 The translator says, 'who were also lodged
before NaN-aret,' but this is part of the same con-
fusion as was noted before.
battles, for he knew well the next day he
should have battle. So that night the
Spaniards took their ease and rest, for they
had well wherewith so to do, as plenty of
victuals and other things ; and the English-
men had great default, therefore they had
great desire to fight, other to win or to
lose all.
After midnight the trumpets sounded in
king Henry's host. Then every man. made
him ready. At the second blast they drew
out of their lodgings and ordered three
battles. The first had sir Bertram of
Guesclin, lord Robert of Roquebertin and
the earl Dune of Aragon ; and there were
all the strangers, as well of France as of
other countries, and there were two barons
of Hainault, the lord d'Antoing and sir
Alard lord of Bri£feuil : there was also the
Begue of Villaines, the Begue of Villiers,
sir John of Berguettes, sir Gawain c^ BaH-
leul, the Alemant of Saint-Venant, who
was there made knight, and divers other of
France, Aragon and Provence and of the
marches thereabout There was well in
that battle four thousand knights and
squires well armed and dressed after the
usage of France. The second battle had
the earl don Tello and his brother the earl
Sancho, and in that battle with the gene-
tours there were fifteen thousand afoot and
a-horseback, and they drew them a little
aback on the left hand of the first battle.
The third battle and the greatest of all
governed king Henry himself; and in his
company there were a seven thousand
horsemen and threescore thousand afoot,
with the cross-bows : so in all three battles
he was a fourscore and six thousand a-horse-
back and afoot. Then king Henry leapt
on a strong mule after the usage of the
country and rode from battle to battle,
right sweetly praving every man that day
to employ himself to defend and keep their
honour, and so he shewed himself so cheer-
fully that every man was joyful to behold
him. Then he went again to his own
battle, and by that time it was daylight,
and then about the sun -rising he ad-
vanced forth toward Navaret to find his
enemies, in good order of battle ready to
fight.
The prince of Wales at the breakii^ of
the day was ready in the field arranged in
battle, and advanced forward in good order,
for he knew well he should encounter his
eoemies. So there were none that went
hefore the matiials' battles but such
cnrroura as were appointed : so thus the
lords of both hosts knew by the report of
Iheir currours that they shouJd shortly meet.
So ihcy went forward an hosting pace each
toward other, and when the sun was rising
up, it was a great beauty to behold the
battles and the armours shining against the
auQ. So thus they went forward till they
approached near Ic^elher i then the prince
and bis company went over a little hill, and
in the descending thereof they perceived
eleotly their enemies coming toward them.
And when they were all descended down
this moonlain, then eseiy man drew (o
iheir battles and iiept them still and so
rested them, and every man dressed and
■pparelied himself ready to fight. Then
ar John Chandos brought his lanner rolled
up together to the prince, and said : ' Sir,
behold here is my banner : 1 require you
display it abroad and give me leave this
day to raise it ; for, sir, I thank God and
you, I have land and heritage suRtcient to
maintain it. withal.' Then the prince and
loM don Peter look the banner between
IhS hands and spread it abroad, the which
was of silver, a sharp pile gules, and de-
livered it to him and said: 'Sir John,
behold here your banner. God send you
joy and honour thereof.' Then sir John
Chandos ^re his banner lo his own com-
Cy and said ; ' Sirs, behold here my
ner and yours; keep it as your own.'
And Ihey took il and were right joyful
thtieof, nnd said that by the Measure of
God and Saint Geo^e they would keep
ind defend it lo the best of their powers ;
ind so the banner abode in the hands of a
gDoJ English squire called 'William Alery,
"ho bare il that day and acquitted himseL
light nobly. Then anon after, the English'
iui;ii and Gascons alighted off iheir horses
:ind every man drew under their owi
lanner and standard in array of battli
itady to fight. It was great joy lo see anc
conMder the banners and pennons and Ihi
nohle armoury' that was there.
Then tiie batlles b^an a little ti
tdvanee, and then the prince of Wales
ued his eyen an<l regarded toward
(en, and joined his hands Icgcthet and
!j. Ditp\a.y of an"" °° bnnneis ami pcnr
said: 'Very God, lesu Christ,' who hath
formed and created me, consent by your
benign grace that I may have this day
victory of mine enemies, as Ihal I do is in
a rightful quarrel, to sustain and lo aid this
king chased out of his own heritage, the
which giveth me courage lo advance my-
self lore-establish him again into his realm.'
And then he laid his right hand on king
don Peter, who was by him, and said :
' Sir king, ye shall know this day if ever
ye shall have any part of the realm of
Castile or not. Therefore advance banners,
in the name of God and Saint George.'
With those words the duke of Lancaster
and sir John Chandos approached, and the
duke said to sir William Beauchamp : ' Sir
WiUiam, behold yonder our enemies. This
day ye shall see me a good knight, or else
to die in the quarrel' And therewith they
approached their enemies.
And first the duke of Lancaster and sir
John Chandos' battle assembled with the
battle of sir Bertram of Guesclin and of the
marshal sir Arnold d'Audrehem, who were
a four thousand men of arms. So at the
first brunt there was a sore encounter wilh
spears and shields, and they were a certain
space or any of them could get within
other. There was many a deed o( arms
done and many a man reversed and cast lo
the earth, that never after was relieved.
And when these two first batlles were thus
assembly, the other battles would not
long tarry behind, but approached and
assembled ti^ether quickly. And so the
prince and his battle came on the' earl
Sancho's battle, and with the prince was
king don Peter of Castile and sir Martin
de la Cana, who represented the king of
Navarre. And at the first meeting that
the prince met wilh the earl Sancho's
battle, ihe earl and his brother fled away
without order or good array, and wisl not
why, and a two thousand spears wilh him.
So this second battle was opened and anon
discomfited, for the captal of Buch and the
lord Clisson and their company came on
them afoot and slew and hurt many of
them. Then the prince's battle with king
don Peter came and joined with the battle
of king Henry, whereas there were three-
score thousand men afoot and a-horseback.
mk
A
176
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
There the battle began to be fierce and
cruel on all parts, for the Spaniards and
Castilians had slings, wherewith they cast
stones in such wise, that therewith they
clave and brake many a bassenet and helm
and hurt many a man and overthrew them
to the earth ; and the archers of England
shot fiercely and hurt [the] Spaniards
grievously and brought them to great mis-
chief. The one part cried, * Castile for
king Henry ! * and the other part, * Saint
George, Guyenne ! ' And the first battle,
as the duke of Lancaster and sir John
Chandos and the two marshals sir Guichard
d'Angle and sir Stephen Cosington, fought
with sir Bertram of Guesclin and with the
other knights of France and of Aragon.
There was done many a deed of arms, so
it was hard for any of them to open other's
battle. Divers of them held their spears
in both their hands, foining and pressing
each at other, and some fought with short
swords and daggers. Thus at the begin-
ning the Frenchmen and they of Aragon
fought valiantly, so that the good knights
of England endured much pain. That day
sir John Chandos was a good knight and
did under his banner many a noble feat of
arms. He adventured himself so far, that
he was closed in among his enemies and so
sore overpressed that he was felled down
to the earth ; and on him there fell a great
and big man of Castile called Martin Fer-
rant, who was greatly renowned of hardi-
ness among the Spaniards, and he did his
intent to have slain sir John Chandos, who
lay under him in great danger. Then sir
John Chandos remembered of a knife that
he had in his bosom and drew it out and
strake this Martin so in the back and in
the sides that he wounded him to death,
as he lay on him. Then sir John Chandos
turned him over and rose quickly on his
feet, and his men were there about him,
who had with much pain broken the press
to come to him, whereas they saw him
felled.
The Saturday in the morning between
Nazres and Navaret was the battle right
fell and cruel, and many a man brought to
great mischief. There was done many a
noble deed of arms by the prince and by
the duke of Lancaster his brother and by
*dr Tohn Chandos, sir Guichard d'Angle, the
tal of Buch, the lord of Clisson, the
lord of Retz, sir Hugh Calverley, sir
Matthew Gournay, sir Louis Harcourt, the
lord of Pons, the lord of Partenay ; and of
Gascons fought valiantly the earl of Armag-
nac, the lord d'Albret, the lord of Pomniiers
and his brethren, the lord of Mussidan, the
lord of Rauzan, the earl of Perigord, the
earl of Comminges, the earl of Caraman,
the lord of Condom, the lord Lesparre, the
lord of Caumont, sir Bertram of Terride,
the lord of Puycornet, sir Bernard d'Albret,
the lord of Geronde, sir Aymery of Tastes,
the soudic of Latrau, sir Petiton of Curton,
and divers other knights and squires ac-
quitted themselves r^ht nobly in arms to
their powers : and under the pennon of
Saint George and the banner of sir John
Chandos were all the companions, to the
number of twelve hundred pensels,* and
they were right hardy and valiant knights,
as sir Robert Cheyne, sir Perducas d' Albret,
Robert Briquet, sir Garsis of the Castle, sir
Gaillard Vigier, sir John Creswey, Naudan
of Bageran, Aymenion d'Artigue, Perrot of
Savoy, the bourg Camus, the bourg Les-
parre, the bourg Breteuil, Espiote and
divers other. On the Prench party sir
Bertram of Guesclin, sir Arnold d'Audre-
hem, Sancho, sir Gomez Carillo and other
knights of France and of Aragon fought
right nobly to their powers. Howbeit
they had none advantage, for these com-
panions were hardy and strong knights and
well used and expert in arms, and also
there were great plenty of knights and
squires of England under the banner of the
duke of Lancaster and of sir John Chandos.
There was the lord William Beauchamp,
son to the earl of Warwick, sir Ralph
Camoys, sir Walter Urswick, sir Hiomas
Dammery, sir John Grandison, sir John
d'Ypres,^ sir Amery of Rochechouart, sir
Gaillard de la Motte, and more than two
hundred knights, the which I cannot name.
And to speak truly, the said sir Bertram
du Guesclin and the marshal d'Audrehem,
the Begue of Villaines, the lord d'Antoing,
the lord of Briffeuil, sir Gawain of Bailleul,
sir JohnofBerguettes, the Begue of Villiers,
the Alemant of Saint-Venant, and the good
knights and squires of France that were
1 Pennonchiaus.
2 The translator, following his text, says, 'sir John
Dyper, sir Johan du Pre^' but this is two attempts
at the same name, * messire Jehans d'Yppre.'
BATTLE OF NAJARA, 1367
177
there acquUted themselves nobly : for of
Lruth, if the Spaniards had done Iheir put
as well as the FreDchmen did, the English-
men and Gascons should lia.ve had much
more to do and have suffered more pain
than (hey did. The fault was nut in kins
Henry that ihey did no better, for he had
well admonished and desired them to have
done their devoir valiantly, and so they had
promised him to have done. The king bare
himself right valiantly, aJid did marvels in
arms, stnd with good course comforted his
jieople, as, when they were flying and
opening, he came in among them and said:
' Lords, I am your king : ye have made
me king of Castile, and have sworn and
promised that to die ye will not &il me.
For God's sake keep your promise that ye
have sworn, and acquit you against me,
atiil I shall acquit me against you ; for I
shall not fly one foot as long an I may see
you do your devoir,' By these words and
such other full of comfort king Henry
brought his men together again three times
liie same day, and with his own hands he
loughl valiantly, so that he ought greatly
lo be honoured and renowned.
This was a marvellous dangerous batlle,
and many a man shin and iure hurt. The
commons of Spain according to the usage
of their country with their slings they did
cast stones with great violence and rlid
much hurt, the which at the beginning
troubled greatly the Englishmen : but
when their cast was past and that they felt
the sharp arrows light among them, thn
could no longer keep their array. With
iiing Henry in his battle were many noble
men of arms, as well cif Spain as of Lisbon,
of Aragon and of Fortilgal, who acquitted
ihem right nobly and gave it not up so
l^htly, for valiantly they fought with
spears, javelins, archegayes and swords ;
I —J __j ijjg (jing of king Henry's battle
were certain well mounted, who
I always kept the battle in good order, for if
I the batlle opened or brake array in any
T ride, then they were ever ready to help lo
I bring them again into good order. So
I llieae Englishmen and Gascons, or they
I hid the advantage, they bought it dearly,
1 uid won it by noble chivalry and great
1 prawEss of arms : and for to say truth,
Lthe prince himself was the chief flower of
flliry of all lie worlil, and had with him
as then right noble and valiant knights
and squires : and a little beside the
prince's battle was the king of Mallorca
and his company, fighting and acquitting
themselves right valiantly, and also there
was the lord Martin de la Carra represent-
ing the king of Navarre, who did right
well his devoir. I cannot speak of all
them that did that day right nobly ; but
about the prince in his battle there were
divers good knights, as well of England as
of Gascoyne, as sir Richard Pontchardon,
sir Thomas Spenser, sir Thomas Holland,
sir Miel Loring, sir Hugh and sir Philip
Courtenay, sir John Tnvet, sir Nicholas
Bond, sir Thomas Trivet, and divers other,
as the seneschal of Saintonge, sur Baldwin
of Freville, the seneschal of Bordeaux, of
Rochelle, of Poitou, of Angouleme, of
Kouergue, of Limousin and of Perigord,
and sir Louis Melval, sir Raimond Mareuil
and divers other. There Was none that
&ined to fight valiantly, and also they had
good cause why ; for there were of Spaniards
and of Castile more than a hundred thou-
sand men in harness, so that by reason of
their great number it was long or they could
be overcome. King don Peter was greatly
chafed, and much desired to meet with the
bastard his brother, and said; 'Where is
that whoreson that calleth himself king of
Castile?' And the same kmg Uenry
fought right valiantly whereas he was, and
held bis people together right marvellously,
and said : ' Ah t ye good people, ye have
crowned me king, therefore help and aid
me to keep the heritage that you have
given me.' So that by these words and
such other as he spake that day be caused
many to be right hardy and vahant, where-
by they abode on the field, so that because
of their honour they would not Sy&om the
CHAPTER CCXXXVIH
How sir Bertram of Guesclin was discomfited,
he taken and king Henry saved himself,
and of the Spaniards ihat fled, and of the
numlwr of the dead, and of the cities that
yielded them up to king don Peter, and of
the answer that he made to the prince.
The batlle Ihat was licst fought and
longest held tcwether was the company of
sir Bertram of Guesclin, for there were
i
178
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
many noble men of arms who fought and
held together to their powers, and there
was done many a noble feat of arms.
And on the English part specially there
was sir John Chandos, who that day did
like a noble knight and governed and
counselled that day the duke of Lancaster
in like manner as he did before the prince
at the battle of Poitiers, wherein he was
greatly renowned and praised, the which
was good reason ; for a valiant man and a
good knight, acquitting himself nobly among
lords and princes, ought greatly to be re-
commended : for that day he took no heed
for taking of any prisoner with his own
hands, but always fought and went forward ;
but there was taken by his company under
his banner divers good knights and squires
of Aragon and of France, and specially sir
Bertram of Guesclin, sir Arnold d'Audre-
hem, sir Begue of Villaines and more
than threescore prisoners. So thus finally
the battle of sir Bertram of Guesclin was
discomfited, and all that were therein taken
and slain, as well they of France as of
Aragon.. There was slain the Begue of
Villiers, and taken the lord Antoing of
Hainault, the lord Briffeuil, sir Gawain of
Bailleul, sir John of Bergucttes, sir Ale-
mant of Saint -Venant and divers other.
Then drew together these banners, the
banner of the duke of Lancaster, of sir
John Chandos and of the two marshals,
and the pennon of Saint George, and went
all together on the battle of king Henry
and cried with a high voice, * St. George,
Guyenne ! * Then the Spaniards and their
company were sore put aback. The captal
of Buch and the lord Clisson fought vali-
antly, and also sir Eustace d'Aubrecicourt,
sir Hugh Calverley, sir soudic, sir John
Devereux and other acquitted themselves
that day right nobly. The prince shewed
himself like a noble knight and fought
valiantly with his enemies. On the other
side king Henry acquitted himself right
valiantly, and recovered and turned again
his people that day three times. For after
that the earl don Tello and a three thou-
sand horsemen with him were departed
from the field, the other began then greatly
to be discomfited and were ever ready to
fly after their company ; but then ever
king Henry was before them and said,
'Fair lords, what do you? Wherefore will
ye thus forsake and betray me? Sith ye ■ '
have made me king and set the crown on
my head and put the heritage of Castile
into my hands, return and help to keep
and defend me, and abide with me ; for l^
the grace of God, or it be night, all shall
be ours ' : so that these words or such-like
encouraged his people in such wise, that it
made them to abide longer in the field, for
they durst not fly for shame when they saw
their king and their lord so valiantly fight
and speak so amiably : so that there died
more than a thousand and five hundred
persons, that might well have saved them-
selves and have taken the time to their
advantage, an the love that they had to
their lord and king had not been.
When the battle of the marshals were
passed through their enemies and had dis-
comfited the greatest number of them,^ so
that the Spaniards could not sustain vm
defend them any longer, but b^an to fly
away in great fear without any good array
or order toward the city of Nazres, and so
passed by the great river,'* so that for any
words that king Henry could say they
would not return, and when the king saw
the mischief and discomfiture of his people
and that he saw no recovery, then he
called for his horse and mounted thereon
and put himself among them that fled; hot
he took not the way to Nazres, for fear
of enclosing, but then took another way
eschewing all perils, for he knew well that
if he were taken, he should die without-
mercy. Then the Englishmen and Gas-
cons leapt a-horseback and began to chase
the Spaniards, who fled away sore discom-
fited to the great river. And at the entry
of the bridge of Nazres there was a hideous
shedding of blood, and many a man slain
and drowned ; for divers leapt into the
water, the which was deep and hideous;
they thought they had as lief to be drowned
as slain. And in this chase among other
there were two valiant knights of Spaui
bearing on them the habit of religion, the
1 The original is : * When the battle of the mar-
shals was brought to extremity (oultr^) and db*
comfited, and all the great battles had been joined
together, the Spaniards could not,* etc. The pas
sage is made obscure by omissions : according to
the full text it is : ' When the battle of the marsJiab
of France was brought to extremity, etc., and the
three great battles of the English biad been joined
together, the Spaniards could not,' etc.
'^ The ' grosse riviere ' in question is the Najarilla.
BATTLE OF NAJARA, 136;
'79
Hie called the great prior of Soint James
Lnd the other the p:eat master of Cala-
niva ; they and Iheii company to save
hemselves entered into Nazres, and they
vere so near chased at their back by Eng-
ishmen and Gitscons, that they ' won the
iridge, so that there was a great slaughter;
tnd the Englishmen entered into the city
ifter their enemies, who were entered into
L strong house of atone. Howbeit, incon-
inent it was won by force, and the knights
:aken and man; of theii men slain and all
:he city overrun and pilled, the which was
jreatly to the Englishmen's profit. Also
;hey won king Henry's lodging, wherein
.hey found great riches of vessel and jewels
■3,1 gold and silver ; for the king was come
Lhither with great nobleness, so that when
they were discoinfited, they had no leisure
for to return thither again to save that
they had left there. So this was a hideous
and a terrible discomfiture, and specially
tin the river side there was many a man
slain ; and it was said, as I heard after re-
ported of some of them that were there
present, that one might have seen the
water that ran by Nazres to be of the
colour of red with the blood of men and
horse that were there slain. This battle
was between Nazres and Navaret in Spain
the year of the incarnation of our Lord
Jesu Christ a thousand three hundred
threescore and six, the third day of April,
the which was on a Saturday.
Afier the discomfiture of the battle of
Nazres, which was done by noon, the
prince caused his banner to be taised up a-
nigh upon a bush on a little hill, to the
i#ent to draw his people thither. And so
thither drew all those that came from the
chase ; thither came the duke of Lan-
caster, sir John Chandos, the lord Clisson,
llie captal of Buch, the eotl of Armagnac,
the lord d'Albret and divers other batons,
and had raised up on high their banners to
draw their people thither ; and ever as
they came, they ranged them in the field.
Also there was James king of Mallorca,
his banner before him, whereunto his com-
pany drew ; and a little there beside was
sa Martin de la Carta with the banner of
his lord the king of Navarre, with divers
other earls and barons ; the which was a
goodly thing to regard and behold. Then
L
le EliBlbhmen and Cas.
' thither king don Peter right sore
chafed, coming from the chase on a great
black courser, his banner beaten with the
arms of Castile before bim ; and as soon as
he saw the prince's banner, he alighted and
went thither, and when the prince saw him
coming, he went and met him and did
him great honour. There the king don
Peter would have kneeled down to have
thanked the prince, but the prince made
great haste to take him by the hand, and
would not suffer him to kneet. Then the
king said : 'Dear and fair cousin, I ought
to give you many thanks and praises for
this fair journey that I have attained this
day by your means.' Then the prince
said : ' Sir, yield thanks to God and give
him all the praise, for the victory hath
come by him all only and not by me.'
Then the lords of the prince's council drew
together and communed of divers matters,
and so long the prince was still there, till
all his people were returned from the
chase. Then he ordained four knights and
four heralds to go search the fields to know
what people were taken and the number
of them that were slain, and also to know
the truth of king Henry, whom they called
bastard, whether he were alive or dead.
And then the prince and his lords went to
the lodging of king Henry and of the
Spaniards, where they were well and
easily lodged, for it was great and large
and well replenished of all things neces-
sary. So then they supped that night
in great joy, and ailer supper the knights
and heralds that went to visit the field re-
lumed, and there they reported that there
were slain of their enemies, of men of arms
a live hundred and threescore, and of com-
mons about a seven thousand and five
hundred, beside them that were drowned,
whereof the number was unknown j and of
their own company there was no more
slain but four knights, whereof two were
Gascons, the third an Almoin and the
fourth an Englishman, and of olher com-
mons not past a forty : but they shewed how
they could not find king Henry, whereof king
don Peter was right sorry. So this Satur-
day at night they rested themselves and made
good cheer, for they had well wherewith ;
for there they found plenty of wine and
olher victuals, and so refreshed them there
all the Sunday, the which was Palm Sunday.
i8o
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
The Sunday in the morning, when the
prince was up and ready apparelled, then
he issued out of his pavilion and then came
to him the duke of Lancaster his brother,
the earl of Armagnac, the lord d'Albret, sir
John Chandos, the captal of Buch, the lord
of Pommiers, sir Guichard d* Angle, the
king of Mallorca and a great number of other
knights and squires : and then anon after
came to the prince the king don Peter, to
whom the prince made great honour and
reverence. Then the king don Peter said :
" Dear and £ur cousin, I pray and require
you that ye will deliver to me the fiilse
traitors of this country, as my bastard brother
Sancho and such other, and I shall cause
them to lose their heads, for they have well
deserved it.*
Then the prince advised him well and
said : ' Sir king, I require you in the name
of love and lineage that ye will grant me a
gift and a request.* The king, who in no
wise would deny his request, said : * Good
cousin, all that I have is yours : therefore
I am cvrntent, whatsoever ye desire, to
grant it.* Then the prince said: 'Sir, I
require you to give pardon to all your
people in your realm, such as hath rebelled
against you. by the which courtesy ye shall
abide in the better rest and peace in your
realm, except Gomez Carillo, for of him I
am content ye take your pleasure." The
king don Peter accorded to his desire,
though it were against his will ; but he
durst not d^Hiy the prince, he was so much
boundea to him, and said : '^ Fair cousin. I
grant your request with a gtxKl heart.*
Then the prisoners were sent tor and the
prince accc»rded them with the king their
lord and caused him to loRjive all his evil
will to his brother the earl Sancho and to
all other, so that they should make covenant
and swear realty, homage and service, to
hold ot h-m tndy for ever and tv> become
his men azd :o knowleds^e him tor th«r
!• r.i ar-«: kin:;: r'^r ever. Tbis courtesy with
*.iiver> jciier did ihe rrince :o the king, the
which j.:*:er was but smal'y rewardevl. as ye
>hjl'. he:ir i::^r La this hiscor>\ And also
Cf;:a: oocrtesv to the
■; r. " oe >r.e w evt
j;ir:-5 -i' >..::•', >uch i> w^re rris«.^ners: tor
u" k_z^ i-.n IcfCcrh^ii :jL*v;rr. thetv. inhisdis-
pieas;ire. tiiev had jlII i:e»i without mercy.
"«i cfafia sir Gomez Carillo was delivered to
wchLTin he hated ic sore, that he
would take no ransom for him but made bis
head to be stricken off before his lodging.
Then king doo Peter mounted on bis
horse, and the earl Sancho his l»rother
' and all those that were become his men,
and his marshals sir Guichard d' Angle
and sir Stephen Codi^on and a five
hundred m«i of arms^ and they departed
from the prince's host and rode to Burgos
and so came thither the Monday in
the morning. And they of Burgos, who
were well rnfixmed how the journey of
■ Nazres was achieved and how that king
. Henry was discomfited, they thought not
to keep the town against don Peter, bat
\ divers of the richest of the town and of the
. most notablest issued out of the town and
I presented the keys of the city to him and
' received him to their lord, and so bron^t
- him and all ins men into the city of Buiqgos
with great joy and solemnity. And all the
Sunday the prince abode still in the lodgings
that they had won, and on the Monday
afttf evensong he dislodged and went and
lodged at Barbesque,^ and there tarried till
it was Wednesday, and then they went all
to the city of Burgos^ And there the prince
entered into the town with great reverence,
and with him the duke of Lancaster, the
earl of Armagnac and dhiexs other great
lords, and thi^ people made their lod^i^
without the town, for they could not 2l
have be^i lodged within at their ease.
.\nd when the prince was at his lodging
there, he gave and rendered judgments <x
arms and of all things thereto appertainii^
and there kept field and wage of battle:
wherefore it might well be said that all
Spain was come that day in his hands a4
under his obeisance.
The prince of Wales and king doo Peter
held their Easter in the town of Boigos and
there tarried a three wei^s and more : and
on Easter-day they of Astuzge, of Toledo,
ot UsixHU of Cordowan, of Gaiice, of
Seville and of all the other marches and
limitadocs of the reahn of Castile came
thither jLcd made homage to king don Ptter,
and were glad to see the prince and doo
Femnt of Castro^ and so thare was great
cheer made between them. And when
king don Peter bad tarried there the tenn
that I have shewed yoa and naore, and
saw that there were no more that lebelkd
I Eribiiesca.
figiinsl him, but cvei^ man to bim obeisant,
then (he piince said to him ; ' Sir king, ye
arc now, thanked be God, peaceably king of
lliis your own realm without any rebellion
oi let : and, !ur, I and my company tarry
here at n great clia^e and enpense. There-
fore we require you lo provide for money to
pay the wages to them thitt halh holpen to
bring you again iaio your cealm and m ful-
filling of yonr piomise, whereunto ye have
sworn and sealed. And, sir, the shortlier
that ye do it, the greater thank we shall
give you and the more shall be your profit ;
IDT ye know well men of war must be paid
to live withal, or else they will take it
whereas they may get it.' Then the king
answered and said : ' Cousin, we will hold,
keep and accomplish to our power tliat we
bave sworn and sealed unto. But, sir, as
for this present time we have no money ;
wherefore we will draw us to the marches
of Seville, and there we will so procure for
money that we will satisfy every parly.
' And, sir, ye shall abide still here in the
Vale of Olives,' the which is a plentiful
country ; and, sir, we shall return again to
you in as short time as we conveniently can
or may, and at the farthest by Whitsuntide.'
This answer was right pleasant to the
prince and to his council ; and shortly after
the king don Peter departed from the prince
and rode toward Seville to the intent to
get money to pay his men of war, as he had
promised. And the prince went and lodged
m the Vaie of Olives, and all his lords and
people spread abroad in the country, to get
victuals more plentiful for them and for their
horses. There thus theysojonmed to asmall
jirofil to the country, for the companions
could not abstain themselves from robbing
and pilling of the country.
CHAPTER CCXXXIX
Of Ihe honour that was given to the prince
for the victory of Spain, and how king
the prince's land, and of the answer that
king don Peter sent to the prince, and how
the prince departed out of Spain and came
Tidings spread abroad through France,
England, Almaine and other countries how
the piince of Wales and his puissance had
in bailie discomfited king Henry, and taken,
slain and drowned of his men the day of the
battle more than a hnndred thousand men,
whereby the prince was greatly renowned
and his iJiivalry ajid high enterprise much
prsised in all places that heard thereof, and
specially in Ihe Empire of Aimaine and in
the realm of England ; for the Almains,
Flemings and Englishmen said that the
prince of Wales was chief flower of all
chivalry, and how that such a prince was
well worthy to govern all the world, sith fay
his prowess he had achieved such three high
enterprises as he had done ; first, the bat3e
of Crecy in Ponthieii, the second ten year
after at Poitiers, and the third now in Spain
before Nazres : so in England in the city of
London the burgesses there made great
solemnity aud triumph for that victory, as
they anciently were wont to do for kings,
when Ihey had overcome their enemies.
And in Ihe realm of France there were
made lamentable sorrows for the loss of the
good knights of the realm of France, the
which were slain af that journey, and specially
there was made sorrow for sir Bertram a{
Gnesclin and for sir Arnold d'Audieheni,
who were taken prisoners, and divers other,
who were kept right courteously, and some
of them put to finance and ransom, but not
sir Bertram of Guesclin so soon ; for sir
John Chandos, who had the rule of him,
would not deliver him, and also sir Bertram
made no great suit therefor.
Now let us somewhat speak of king
Henry, what be did when he departed from
the battle ; and then let us return again
to the prince and to king don Peter of
Castile.
King Henry, as it is said hereafter, saved
himself as welt as he might and withdrew
from his enemies, and led his wife and his
children as soon as he might into the city
of Valence in Aragon, whereas the king of
Aragon was, who was his godfather and
friend, and to him recounted all his adven-
ture. And anon after, the said king Henry
was counselled to pass further and lo go to
the duke of Anjou, who as then was at
Monlpellier, and to shew unto liim all his
adventure. This advice was pleasant lo
the king of Ari^n, and consented well
that he should go thither, because he was
enemy to the piince, who was his near
lS2
THE CHROXICLES OF FROISSART
receire-i r/.n rl^h: 'ovo-^lv and recomfortei
neighbour. >o thui king IIenr\- derine:
from the king of Aragon. and let: in the
cirv- nf Valence his ^ii'c and his chilirer.,
and rcHie s«> long that he passevi Narbonne.
the which was the t:rst city of the realm oi
France on that sxJe. and after that Bezier?
and a!l that cuntr)-. and so came to Mor.t-
pellier and there found the duke of An;'^-.
who loved him er.:irely and greatly h^tevi
the Englishmen, though he made them as
then no u-ar. And the d-ke. when he was
well informe*: cf king Henrv's biisiness.
■ • ft * •
him as well as he might,
tarriei there with him a certiin space, ar.i
then wer.: to Ax-i^rn^n to see rore UrVan.
who was as then departing t? g? t? R?me.
.\r.d then king Henry retumei again t"
Montpellier t:* the d-keof Anjr-u. ani hi.:
long treaty together. Ani it was shewe-.i
me by them, that thcu^ht themselves t:»
know many things, and after it wis right
well seen acrarent. how that this kini-
Henry did get <y. the duke of Anjou a castle
near to Toulouse en the m.arches cf the
princiraiity. called Roquemaure. and there
he assemble-: t .'-ether comranior.s ani men
cA. war. as Bretrns and such other as were
not rcssei over int? Srain with the rrlnce.
«.? th.~t in the :>eginrdng there was a three
hundred men of war. These tidings were
anon brr-'ight t- m.y lady princess, wh^ i*
then was at Bordeaux, h^w that king Henr^-
purrhase-: him a: : ani succour on all si.ies
ani t; the duchy -fijuyenne. wherewith she
wi.^ creatlv acashei. Ani re:au?e that he
he. I n:n:?e.: :n tne rea.m o: r ranee, sne
write letters ani 5ent m.essetigers to the
Frenrh king desiring him n't to o-n?ent
that the iastari K-i ^rain shculi m.ake her
any manner of war, say-.ng that her res«.^rt
WIS to the curt of Fran re. certirj-dng h"m.
. • .... . T*^ ^ T ■
— ...•c^.e_.5 .ji.. ...~\~^2. 1 *.e.. ».r.e ^._^
c : r. -. f? :en led .tg.tt.y t : t.-.e pr:n jess re-::ues:
2.r. ". "istilv sent messengers t: the lastari
i\-T.-.-. w.-.:- wa- :n tr.e cast.e o: K';«:ue-
^, . ._. ._ .1.. .'..^.i . .«* If. _....*_ t._-i
'v-- r:Z'.T:.r.z t: niike "^-ar t? the country
-,"■-" . ■ a ...
— " ■■■■?■— .1 -"■■• *■ *-Jl •-»nTl ■",! C I T* ■"
• .-.■>.-.... _.. . .. ..._ ^ ..Al^C d IJLl. ...
- - - -^ ~". i r 1 1 " " m "" .«.»-«.«. «j^. ►_., avo*'" c"'
: 'r.'jr realm and to make no war in the
land ■:f ris dear nephew the prince of Wales
and of Acquitaine : and by cause to give
en^mple to his subjects that they should
n> 't be so hardy to take any part with the
1 astard IIenr%-. he caased the yoong earl of
Auxerre to be put in prison in the castle of
L-^uvre in Paris. l>»:aiise he was too great
and conversant with this king Henry the
histard. an>i. as it was said, he had pro-
m.isei him to aid him with a great number
cf men of arms : bat thus the French king
cause.: him to break his voyage and purpose.
>? thus at the commandment of the French
kin^ kin^ Henrv obe^-etl, the which was
g»i reason, but for all that yet he left not his
enterprise, but so he departed from Roqae-
maure with a four hundred Bretons. And
t ^ him. was alliei such Breton knights and
s.quires as f?r.oweth : first, sir Arnold of
Limousin, sir Ge-^ttrey Rkrhon. sir Yon <rf
Lac one:. Silvester Bude. Alyot de Tallay,
.\Iain de Saint- Pol : and these men of arms
ani Bretons rode over the mountains and
entere-.: into Bigorre in the principality
an.', there t'?ok by scaling a town called
Bagneres. .ind then they fbrtibed and re-
paired it well and strongly, and then over-
ride the prir.ce's land and did great hnit
an : damage therein. Then the princess
•did send fijr sir James Audley, who was
abiding behind the prince in Acquitaine
as chief sovereigr. govemour to keep the
country-. Howbeit. this said king Hemy
the bastard and the Bretons did great hnit
and damage in the coun:r^^ for daily thdr
pv^wer in*:r eased more and more.
Now let us return to the prince of Waks
and to his company who was in the Vale of
Olives thereabout abiding the coming d
king don Peter of Casdle.
Thus when the prince had sojourned in tbe
Vale o: the Olives until the feast of Saint
Tt">hn the Baptist in summer, abidii^ fof
the c.-mdng of king don Peter, who came
not. n:r could n.^t hear no certain tidix^
K-f him.. wherei*-dth the prince was r^
sore trouble.: and calle.: all his counidl
t -gether t >■» know what was best to do in
that behalf: then the prince wts counselled
to send tw:» or three knights to the kin^
to /.em.and of him why he kept not Ins
d.iy. as he had assigned. And on tins
m.essage was sent s:r Xiel Loring, sif
Richard of Fontchardon and sir Thomas
Banaster : and they r.xie so long b}- their
journeys that they came to the city <^
Seville, whereas they tound king don Peter,
J^ETUHN 00 THE PRINCE FROM SPAIN, 1367
and by semblant he right joyously rEceJved
Ihem. These knights did their message as
they had in cha^e by their lord the prince.
Then the king answered them in eicusii^
of himself and said : ' Sirs, ccrtoinly il
greatly displeaseth us that we cannot keep
the promise that we have made with our
cousin the prince, the which we have often-
Limes shewed unto onr people here in these
parts ; but otir people excuseth themselves
and sajlh how they can make no sum of
money as long as the companions be in the
country, for they have three or four times
robbed our treasurers, who were coming lo
our cousin the prince with oui money.
Therefore we require you to shew our cousin
from us, that we require him that he will
withdraw and put out of this our realm
these evil people of the companions, and
that he do leave there some of his own
knights, to whom in the name of him we
will pay and deliver such sums of money
as he desireth of ns and as we aj'e bound
to pay him.^
This was all the answer that these knights
could have of him at that time, anil so ihey
deported and went agaio to the prince their
lord, and then recounted to him and to his
(Council all that they had heard and seen ;
with the which answer the prince was
much more displeased than he was before,
f[ir he saw well how that king don Peter
failed of bis promise and varied from reason.
The same season that the prince thus
al>ode in the Vale of Olives, whereas he
had been more lha.n the space of four
months, nit;h all the summer, the king of
Mallorca fell sick sore diseased and lay sick
in his bed. Then there was put to ransom
sir Arnold d'Audrehem, the Begue of
Villa.ines, and divers other knights and
squires of France and of Brelayne, who
were taken at Nazres and exchanged for
sir Thomas Felton and for sir Richard
Tanlon and for sir Hugh Hastings and
divers other. But sir Bertram of Guesclln
abode still as prisoner with the prince, for
the Englishmen counselled the prince and
said that if he delivered sir Bertram of
Guesclin, he would make him greater war
than ever he had done before with the
heljung of the bastard Henry, who as
ihen was in BIgorre and had taken the
town of Bagneres, and made great war
^^ that qnaiter. Therefore sir_ Bertram
When that the prince of Wales heard
the
was much more displeased than he
before, and demanded counsel in that behalf
□f bis people, who desired to return home,
for they bare with full great trouble the
heat and the infective air of the country of
Spain, and also the prince himself was not
very well at ease, and therefore his people
counselled him to return again, saying how
king don Peter had greatly failed him to
his blame and great dishonour. Then it
was shewed openly that every man should
return. And when the prince should re-
move, he sent to the king of Mallorca sir
Hugh Courtenay and sur John Chandos,
shewing him how the prince would depart
out of Spain, desiring him to take advice
if he would depart or not, for the prince
would be loath to leave him behind. Then
the king of Mallorca said 1 ' Sirs, I thank
greatly the prince, but at this present time
r caimol ride nor remove till it please God.'
Then the knights said : ' Sir, will you that
my lord the prince shall leave with you a
duct you when ye be able to ride?' 'Nay
surely, sir,' quoth the king, 'it shall not
need, foe I know not how long it will be
or I be able to ride. ' And so they departed
and returned to the prince, shewing him
what they had done. 'Well,' said the
prince, ' as it please God and him, so be it.'
Then the prince departed and all his
company, and went to a city called Madri-
gal, and there be rested in the vale called
Soria between Aragon and Spain. And
there he tarried a month, for there were
certain passages closed against him in the
marches of Aragon. And it was said in
the host thot the king of Navarre, who was
newly returned out of prison, was agreed
with the bastard of Spain and with the
king of Aragon to let the prince's passage j
bat yet he did nothing, as it appeared
after. Howbeit the prince was in doubt
of him, because he was in his own country
and came not to him. In this mean season
there were sent to a certain place between
Aragon and Spain certain persons of both
parbes and so had great communing to<
gether divers days. Finally they so agreed,
that the king of Aragon should open h^^
1 84
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
country and suffer the prince's people to
return and pass peaceably without any let
of any of the country, paying courteously
for that they took.
Then came to the prince the king of
Navarre and sir Martin de la Carra, when
they saw the matter go in such wise be-
tween the king of Aragon and the prince ;
and they made to the prince all the honour
that they could devise and offered passage
for him and for his dear brother the duke
of Lancaster and for divers other knights
of England and of Gascoyne ; but in any
wise he would that the companions should
take their way by some other passage and
not through Navarre. Then the prince
and his lords, when they saw that the way
through Navarre was more meet and neces-
sary for them than through Aragon, thought
not to refuse the king of Navarre's offer,
but so thanked him greatly. Thus the
prince passed through the realm of Navarre,
and the king and sir Martin de la Carra
conveyed him till they came to the passage
of Roncesvaulx, and so from thence they
passed by their journeys till they came to
the city of Bayonne, where he was received
with great joy. And there the prince
refreshed him four days, and then departed
and rode to Bordeaux, where he was also
received with great solemnity ; and my
lady the princess met him with her young
son Edward, who as then was of the age of
three years. Then departed the lords and
men of war one from another, and the lords
of Gascoyne went home to their own houses,
and the companions came also into the
principality, abiding for their wages. The
prince was much bound to them and pro-
mised to pay them to his power, as soon as
he had money : though king don Peter
kept not his promise with him, yet he said
they should not bear the loss thereof, sith
they had so well served him. And king
Henry the bastard, who was in the garrison
of Bagneres in Bigorre, then he departed
thence with such men of war as he had and
went into Aragon to the king there, who
loved him entirely and joyously received
him, and there tarried all the winter and
there made a new alliance between him
and the king of Aragon and promised to
make war against king don Peter. And
the Bretons that were in their company, as
sir Arnold Limousin, sir Geoffrey Richon
and sir Yon de Laconet, rode to the passages
of Spain and made war for king Henry.
Now let us speak of the deliverance of
sir Bertram of Guesclin.
After that the prince of Wales was re-
turned into Acquitaine and his brother the
duke of Lancaster into England and every
lord into his own, sir Bertram of Guesclin
was still prisoner with the prince and with
sir John Chandos and could not come to
his ransom nor finance, the which was sore
displeasant to king Henry, if he might
have mended it : and so it fortuned after,
as I was informed, that on a day the prince
called to him sir Bertram of Guesdm and
demanded of him how he did. He answered
and said : * Sir, it was never better with me.
It is reason that it should so be, for I am
in prison with the most renowned knight
of the world.' * With whom is that ? * aid
the prince. * Sir,' quoth he, ' that is with
sir John Chandos ; and, sir, it is said in
the realm of France and in other places
that ye fear me so much, that ye dare not
let me out of prison ; the which to me is
full great honour.' The prince, who under-
stood well the words of sir Bertram d
Guesclin and perceived well how his own
council would in no wise that he should
deliver him unto the time that king d(»
Peter had paid him all such sums as he
was bound to do, then he said to sir
Bertram : * Sir, then ye think that we keep
you for fear of your chivalry. Nay, think
it not, for I swear by Saint George it is
not so. Therefore pay for your ransom a
hundred thousand franks and ye shall be
delivered.' Sir Bertram, who desired
greatly to be delivered and heard on what
point he might depart, took the prince
with that word and said : * Sir, in the
name of God so be it : I will pay no less.'
And when the prince heard him say so, he
would then gladly have repented himself,
and also some of his council came to him
and said, * Sir, ye have not done well, so
lightly to put him to his ransom ' : and so
they would gladly have caused the prince
to have revoked that covenant. But the
prince, who was a true and a noble knight,
said : * Sith that we have agreed thereto,
we will not break our promise. It should
be to us a great rebuke, shame and re-
proach, if we should not put him to ransom,
seeing that he is content to pay such a great
sum sR a hundred thousand frniiks.' So
nrier this accord s\i Bert[a.tn of Guesclin
was right busy, and studied daily how
get this sum far his ransom ; and did
much with the aid of the French king and
of his friends and of the duke of Anji
who loved him entirely, that he paid
less than a month a hundred thousand
franks. And so he departed and we
serve (he duke of Anjou wilh two thousand
fighting men in Provence, whereas the duke
lay at siege before the town of Taiascon,
the which held of the king of Naples.
In the same season there was a marriage
concluded between the lord Lyon duke of
Clarence and earl of Ulster, son t( '
king of England, and the daughter ti
lord Galeas lord of Milan, the which young
lady was niece to the eatl of Savoy and
daughter to the lady Blanche his aster.
And thus the duke of Clarence accompanied
with noble knights and sqnires of England
came into France, whereas the king, the
duke of Biirgoyne, the duke of Bourbon
and the lord of Coucy received him with
great joy in Paris. And so he passed
through the realm of France and came
into Savoy, whereas the gentle eatl received
liim right honourably at Chambery, and
there he was three days, greatly feasted
with ladies and damosels ; and then he
departed, and the earl of Savoy brought
him to Milan. And there the dake wedded
his niece, daughter lo the lord of Milan,
the Monday next after the feast of the Holy
Trinity, the year of our Lord a thousand
CHAPTER CCXL
hthvtca the lady hahtl of Bourbon and the
lor.1 iPAlbrel, which greatly dlsplemed tin
prince of Wales.
CHAPTER CCXLI
ilow the b3roi;E of Gascoyne complained lo
llie French king of the prince of Wales ;
A bow hing Henry returned into Spain,
and of the alliances that king don Peter
made, and of the counsel that sir Bertram
oiGuesclin gave lo king Henry, and how
king don Peter was discomfited.
In the same season that these companions
tormented thus the realm of France, the
prince was counselled by some of his
conncil lo raise a foliage throughout all
Acquitaine, and specially the bishop of
Hade ; for the stale of the prince and
princess was so great, Ihat in all Christen-
dom was none like. So to this council
for raising of this fouage were called all
the noble barons of Gascoyne, of Poitou,
of Saintonge and of divers other cities and
good towns in Acquitaine ; and at Niort,
where this parliament was holder), there it
was shewed specially and generally by the
bishop of Bade, chancellor of Acquitaine,.
In the presence of the prince, how and in
what manner this fouage should be laised.
declaring how the prince was not in mind
that it should endure any longer than live
years, to run throughout his country, and
that the raising thereof was for the intent
Cy such money as he ought by reason
I journey into Spain. To the which
ordinance were well agreed the Poilous and
they of Saintonge, Limousin, Rouereue and
of Rochelle, on the condition that the
prince would keep the course of his coin
stable seven year ; but divers of other
marches of Gascoyne refused this purpose,
— the earl of Armagnac, the lord d'Albret
i nephew, the eail of Comminges, the
Kount of Caraman, the lord de la Barthe,
the lord of Terride, the lord of Puycomet
" " ' livers other great barons, saying how
n time past, when they obeyed to the
French king, they were not then grieved
ppressed with any subsidies or im-
positions, and no more they said they
would as then, as long as they could
defend it, saying how their lands and
seignories were free and except from ail
debts, and that the prince had sworn so to
keep and maintain them. Howbeit, lo
depart peaceably from this parliament, they
answered that they would take better advice
and so return again, both prelates, bishops,
abbots, harons and knights : and the prince
nor his council could have as Ihen none
other answer. Thus they departed from
the town of Niort, bot it was commanded
i86
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
them by the prince that they should return
again tnither at a day assigned.
Thus the barons and lords of Gascoyne
returned into their countries and agreed
firmly together that they would not return
again to the prince, nor suffer the fouage
to run in the lands : then they made war
against the prince therefor. Thus the
country began to rebel against the prince,
and the lord of Armagnac, the lord d'Albret,
the lord of Comminges, the earl of Puy-
cornet, and divers other prelates, barons,
knights and squires of Gascoyne went into
France and made great complaints in the
French king's chamber, the king and his
peers being present, of the griefs that the
prince of Wales would do to them, saying
how their resort ought to be to the French
king and to draw to him as to their sove-
reign lord. And the king, who would not
break the peace between him and the king
of England, b^an to dissemble and said :
* Sirs, surely the jurisdiction of our heritage
and of the crown of France we will always
keep and augment ; but we have sworn to
divers articles in the peace, of the which I
remember not all. Therefore we shall
visit and behold the tenour of the letters,
and inasmuch as we may do we shall aid
you, and shall be glad to agree you with
the prince our dear nephew : for perad-
venture he is not well counselled to put you
or your subjects from their freedoms and
franchises.' So with the answer that the
king made them at that time they were
content, and so abode still at Paris with
the king, in purpose not to return again
into their own countries, with the which
the prince was nothing well content, but
always he still persevered in the purpose of
raising of this fouage. Sir John Chandos,
who was one of the greatest of his council,
was contrary to this opinion and would
gladly that the prince would have left it :
but when he saw that the prince would not
leave his purpose, to the intent that he
would bear no blame nor reproach in the
matter, he took his leave of the prince and
made his excuse to go into Normandy to
visit the land of Saint-Saviour the Viscount,
whereof he was lord, for he had not been
there in three years before. The prince
gave him leave, and so he departed out of
Poitou and went to Cotentin, and tarried in
the town of Saint -Saviour more than half
a year. And always the prince proceeded
on the raising of this fouage, the which if
he had brought about should have been well
worth every year a twelve hundred thou-
sand franks, every fire to have paid yearly a
frank, the rich to have borne out the poor.
Now let us return to king Henry, who
was all this season in the realm of Aragon,
and let us shew how he persevered after.
The most part of the state of the prince
and of his business was well known with
the kings thereabout, as with king Peter of
Aragon and with king Henry, for they laid
great wait to know it. They understood well
how the barons of Gascoyne were gone to
Paris to the French king and in a manner
began to rebel against the prince, with the
which they were nothing displeased, and
specially king Henry, for then he thought
to attain again to conquer the realm of
Castile, the which he had lost by the means
of the prince. And so then king Henry .
took leave of the king of Aragon and de-
parted firom the town of Valence the great ;
and out of Aragon with him there went the
viscount of Roquebertin and the viscount of
Roda, and they were three thousand horse-
men and six thousand afoot, with a certain
Genoways that they had in wages. And
so they rode toward Spain till they came
to the city of Burgos, the which incontinent
was opened and rendered up to king
Henry, and they received him as their
lord ; and from thence he went to the Vale
Olive, for king Henry understood that the
king of Mallorca was still there. And
when they of the town of Vale Olive under-
stood that they of Burgos had 3delded up
their town to king Henry, then they
thought not to keep their town against
him, and so yielded them to him and re-
ceived him as their lord. As soon as the
king was entered into the town, he de-
manded where the king of Mallorca was,
the which was shewed him. Then the
king entered into the chamber where he
lay, not fully whole of his disease. Then
the king went to him and said : * Sir king
of Mallorca, ye have been our enemy, and
with a great army ye have invaded this our
realm of Castile. Wherefore we set our
hands on you ; therefore yield yourself as
our prisoner, or else ye are but dead.*
And when the king of Mallorca saw him-
self in that case and that no defence
"«s
would help him, lie said : ' Sir king,
Uuly I am but dead, if that it please yaa ;
nnd, sir, gladly I yield me unlo you, but to
none other. Therefore, sir, if your mind
be [o put me into any other mini's hands,
shew it me ; for I had rather die Ihan to
he put into the hands of my bitter enemy
the king of Aragon.' ' Sir,' said the king,
'feat you not I will do yaa but riEht. If
I did otherwise, I were to blame. Ye
shall be my prisoner, other
or to ransom you at my pli
WOE the king of Mallorca taken by king
Henry, and caused him to be well kepi
there ; and then he rode further to the cily
of Leon in Spain, the which incontinent
was opened against him.
When the town and dty of Leon in
Spain wa! thus rendered to king Henry, all
the country and marches of Galtce turned
and yielded them to king Henry, and to him
came many great lords and tiarons, who
licfore had done homage to king don Peter ;
for whatsoever semblant they had made to
him before the prince, yet they loved him
not, because of old time he had been to
them so cruel and they were ever in fear
that he would turn to his cruelly again, and
king Henry was ever amiable and meek to
Ihem, promising to do much for them,
iherefore they all drew to him. Sir
Bertiam of Guesclin was not as then In his
company, but he was coming with a two
thousand fighting men, and was departed
from the duke of Anjuu, who had achieved
liis war in Provence and broken up his
siege before Tarascon by composition, I
cannot shew how. And with sir Bertram
uf Guesclin there were divers knights and
squires of France, desiring to exercise the
feat of arms j and so they came towards
king Heniy, who as then had laid siege
before Toledo.
Tidings came to king don Peter how the
country turned to his bastard brother,
Ihereas he lay in the marches of Seville
and Portugal, where he was but smally
beloved. And when he heard thereof, he
was sore displeased against his lirolher and
against them of Castile, because they for-
sook him, and sware a great oath that he
would take on them so cruel a vengeance,
that it should be ciisample lo all other.
Then he senl out bis commandment to such
fts he trusted would aid and serve him, bat
but turned to king Henry and sent their
homages to him. And when this king don
Peter saw that his men began to tail him,
then he began to doubt, and took counsel
of don Ferrant of Castro, who never failed
him ; and he gave him counsel that he
should get as much people t<^;ether as he
might, as well out of Granade as out of
other places, and so in all haste to ride
against his brother the bastard, or he did
conquer any further in the country. Then
king don Peter sent incontinent to the king
of Portugal, who was his cousin-gcrman :
also he sent to the king of Craiuide and of
Bcllemarine and to the king of Tremesen
and made alliances with Ihem three, and
they sent him more than twenty thousand
Saracens lo help him in his war. So thus
king don Peter did so much that, what of
christen men and of Saracens, he had lo
the number of forty thousand men in the
marches of Seville. And in the mean
season, while that king Henry lay at si^e,
sir Bertram of Guesclin came to him with
two thousand fighting men and he was
received with great joy, for all the host was
greatly rejoiced of his coming.
King don Peter, who had made his
assembly in the marches of Seville and
thereabout, desiring greatly lo fighl with the
bsislard his brother, departed from Seville
and took his journey towards Toledo to
raise the siege there, the which was from
htm a seven days' journey. Tidings came
to king Henry how that his brother don
Peter approached, and in his company
more than forty thousand men of one and
other. And thereupon he look counsel, to
the which council was called the knights of
France and of Aragon, and specially sir
Bertram of Guesclin, by whom the king
was most ruled ; and his counsel was thai
king Henry should advance forth to en-
counter his brother don Peter, and in what
condition soever that he found him io, in-
continent to set on and fight with him,
saying lo the king : ' Sir, I hear say he
Cometh wllh a great puissance, and, sir, if
he have great leisure in his coming, it may
turn you and us all to great displeasure ;
and Iherefore, sir, if we go hastily on him,
or he be ware, peradventure we shall find
him and his company in that case and so
dispujseyed, that we shall have him »t
i88
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
advantage, and so we shall discomfit him,
I doubt not.' The counsel of sir Bertram
of Guesclin was well heard and taken, and
so king Henry in an evening departed from
the host with a certain of the best knights
and fighting men that he could choose out
in all his host, and left the residue of his
company in the keeping and governing of
his brother the earl don Tello, and so rode
forth. And he had seven spies ever coming
and going, who ever brought him word
what his brother don Peter did and all his
host. And king don Peter knew nothing i
how his brother came so hastily toward him,
wherefore he and his company rode the
more at large without any good order ; and
so in a morning king Henry and his people
met and encountered his brother king don
Peter, who had lien that night in a castle
thereby called Montiel, and was there well
received and had good cheer, and was
departed thence the same morning, weening
full little to have been fought withal as that
day. And so suddenly on him with banners
displayed there came his brother king Henry
and his brother Sancho and sir Bertram of
Guesclin, by whom the king and all his
host was greatly ruled. And also with
them there was the Begue of Villaines, the
lord of Roquebertin, the viscount of Roda
and their companies. They were a six
thousand fighting men and they rode all
close together and so ran and encountered
their enemies crying, 'Castile for king
Henry ! * and * Our Lady of Guesclin ! ' and
so they discomfited and put aback the first
brunt. There were many slain and cast to
the earth, there were none taken to ransom,
the which was appointed so to be by sir
Bertram of Guesclin because of the great
number of Saracens that was there. And
when king don Peter, who was in the midst
of the press among his own people, heard
how his men were assailed and put aback
by his brother the bastard Henry and by
the Frenchmen, he had great marvel there-
of and saw well how he was betrayed and
deceived, and in adventure to lose all, for
his men were sore sparkled abroad. How-
beit. like a good hardy knight and of good
coaifort, rented on the field and caused his
banner to l)e unrolled to draw tc^ether his
people, and sent word to them that were
behind to haste them forward, because he
was fighting vdth his enemies; whereby
every man advanced forward to the banner.
So there was a marvellous great and a fierce
battle, and many a man slain of king don
Peter's part ; for king Henry and sir
Bertram of Guesclin sought their enemies
with so courageous and fierce will, that
none could endure against them. Howbeit,
that was not lightly done, for king don
Peter and his company were six against
one, but they were, taken so suddenly, that
they were discomfited in such wise that it
was marvel to behold.
This battle of the Spaniards one against
another, and of these two kings and their
allies, was near to Montiel,the which was that
day right fierce and crueL There were many
good knights of king Henry's part, as sir
Bertram of Guesclin, sir Geoffrey Ricbon,
sir Arnold Limousin, sir Gawain 6f Baillenl,
the Begue of Villaines, Alain of Saint-Pol,
Alyot of Tallay and divers other; and
also of the realm of Aragon there was the
\'iscount of Roquebertin, the viscount of
Roda, and divers other good knights and
squires, whom I cannot all name. And
there they did many noble deeds of anns,
the which was needfiil to them so to do,
for they found fierce and strong people
against them, as Saracens, Jevrs and
Portugals. The Jews fled and turned their
backs and fought no stroke, but they of
Granade and of Bellemarine fought fiercely
with their bows and archegays and did that
day many a noble deed of arms. And king
don Peter was a hardy knight and fought
valiantly with a great axe and gave there-
with nuiny a great stroke, so that none
durst approach near to him ; and the
banner of king Henry his brother met and
rencountered against his, each of them crying
their cries. Then the battle of king don
Peter began to open : then don Ferrant of
Castro, who was chief counsellor about
king don Peter, saw and perceived well
how his people began to lose and to be
discomfited, said to the king : ' Sir, save
yourself and withdraw you into the castle of
Montiel. Sir, if ye be there, ye be in safe-
guard ; for if ye be taken with your
enemies, ye are but dead without mercy.*
The king don Peter believed his counsd
and departed as soon as he might and went
toward Montiel, and so came thither in
such time that he found the gates open, and
so he entered all only with twelve persons ;
I
CAPTURE OF DON PETER, 1369
189
c sparkled abroad here and there. The
Saiacens ilefecded themselves as well as
they might, for they knew not the country,
therefore to fly they thought was for Iheni
none avail. Then tidings came to king
Heniy and to sir Bertram of Guesclin how
that king don Peter was fled and wilhdrnwn
into the castle of Monliel, and how that
the Begue of Villaines had pursued him
thither; and into this castle tneie was but
one passage, liefore which passage the
B^ue of Villaines bad pight lus standard.
Of the which tidings king Henry and sir
Bfrtram of Guesclin was right joyous, and
so drew to that pari in slaying and beating
down their enemies like beasts, so that they
were weary of killing. This chase endured
more Ihan three hours, so that day there
was more than fourteen thousand slain and
sore hurt : there were but few that were
saved, except such as knew the passages of
the country. This battle was beside
Montiel in Spain the thirteenth day nf Ihe
month of August the ycitr of our Lord God
uid three hundred threescore a
CHAPTER CCXLII
out of the castle without spying. Then
king don Peter, seeing himself thus beset
round about with his enemies, and knew
no way of peace or concord, was in great
imagination. So all perils considered and
for default of victual, he was counselled to
depart privily at the hour of midnight and
twelve persons with him, and so to ad-
venture on the grace of God, and guides
were appointed lo bring him in safe.guaid.
And so about the lime of midnight next
after the king don Peter and don Ferrant of
Castro and twelve other persons with them
departed oat of the castie. The night was
very dark and the Begue of "Villaines kept
watch without the same night, and a three
hundred with him. And as king don Peter
and hb company issued out of the csstle,
and went down a high way as privily as they
could devise, the B^^e of Villames, who
was ever in doubt lest they should scape, tbe
which caused him to make the surer watch,
he thought he heard men pass down the
high way, and said tu them that were about
him : ' Sirs, keep you still all privy, for
methink I hear folks come in the way. We
will go know what Ihey be, and what they
seek here at this lime of night : peradvenlure
ebesi
ethat
mmg ti
death, and so king Henry was again king
of t^aslile : and of the tenour of certain
letters touching the French king and the
king of England, snd of tbe counsel that
was given to king Charles of France lo
make war to the king of England.
AfTEK this discomfiture and that king
ilenry had obtained [he victory, then they
laid sl^e ronod aboul the castle of Montiel,
wherein was king don Peter. Then king
Henry sent for the residue of his company
to T<3edo, whereas they lay at si^e, of the
which tidings Ihe earl don Tello and the
carl -Sancho were right joyful. This castle
of Montiet was right strong and able lo
have held against Hiem aJl a long space, if
il had been purveyed of victual and other
Ihings necessary ; but there was nol in the
nstle scant to serve four days, whereof
kipg don Peter and his compatiy were sore
olashed, lor they were so strailly watched
<iiyand night, thai a bird could not come
;pt forlh
with his dagger in his hand and came lo a
man that was near to king don Peter and
said, 'What art thou? 'and he rushed lorlh
with his horse from him and passed by
them. The Begue slept 10 king don Peler,
who was next, and said, 'What ait ibon?
Shew me thy name, or Ibon art but dead " ;
and took him by the bridle, for he thought
he should not puss from him as the olher
did. And when king don Peter saw such
a rout of men of war before him and Ihal
he could not scape, said ; ' Sir Begue of
Villaines, I am king don Peter of Castile.
I yield me to you as a prisoner and put nie
and my company, the which are but twelve
persons, into your hands and pleasure :
and, sir, I re(|uire you by the way of
gentleness to brii^ me into some safe-guard,
and I shall pay to you such ransom as ye
will desire, for 1 thank God I have enough
wherewith, so that I may scape from the
hands of the bastard my brolher.' Then
the Begue, as I was informed, answered
and said : ' Sir, I shall bring you and yoni
company into safe-guard, and your brother
i
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.^.7. .. l._'. -r^^,.- .1 : : , -^i^ yr^vitf :i 'a jn;< .'▼ izce:il :j iroor
^. !.._"/." . ./j*.l"\^7-7'~.".ti|.7--j~r.l^-J| rt'rvcr:^lv .r. -_re -ha.T.rer :c the peers of
.~~ i ' ..~". ~'^'! ' y-.ir..':; It r"i."s. '.: iZs'Vir izh^*» L^iinst
:. :. L :-r:..z >r^j.:- : rzyri-. zzjl: <iz:c - - .i^.*-«»
jKuzui w3i!r% ^c «^ ?..i.r. - A^-v.:u.
idc and fonned lo be sent tnln Acquitaine
ajipeal the prince of Wales to the parlia-
;nt of Paris, and it was devised by the
rl of Armagnae, the lord d'Albiel, the
rl of Perigoid, the earl of Commingea,
e viscount of Caramao, the lord de k
Bthe, the lord of Puycomet and divers
ler, \who were chief causers of this matter,
id this appeal contained how for the great
lefs that these Gascons complained ibat
; prince of Wales and Acquitaine would
to them and to their people, therefore
;y made their resort to the French king,
fiiring that Iheprinee might be appealed
they had made the French king their
ige. And when this appeal was mode
d duly corrected by alt the wise council
France, then it wns concluded by the
Id council that it should be signified to
e prince and that he should be appealed,
appear in proper person at Paris in the
amber of the peers of France, to answer
the complaints made there against him.
nd to bear this appeal wna commanded a
:rk well languaged to do such a business,
id a knight wilh him called Chaponnet of
Haponval ; and so Ihey and their company
rparted from Paris and took their way
ward Poitou, and so passed through
3rry, Touraine, Poitou and Saintonge and
4ne to Blaye, and there passed the river
id so came to Bordeaux, whereas the
:ince and princess was : and always in
•ery place they said how they were mes-
ngeia from the French king, wherefore
ley were the better welcome into every
lace. Then they took up their lodging
Id tarried there all thai nighl, and in the
(xt morning at a convenient hour ihey
ent to the abbey of Saint Andrew's where
le prince was lodged, and there they were
■ell received. And when the prince knew
f their coming, he caused Ihem to come
efore him ; and when they came into his
resence, they kneeled down and made
leit reverence and delivered the prince
liters of credence. The prince took and
^ them and said ; 'Sirs, yebe wekome ;
eclare your message that ye have in
hai^e to shew us.' Then the clerk said :
Right dear air, here is a letter that was
elivered lo us at Paris by our lord the
'rench king, the which letter we promised
« nnr faiths to publish openly in your
Sfi for, sir, ihey touch you,' ""
prince then began to change colour and
had great marvel what it might be, and so
had other knights that were about him ;
bowbeit, he refrained himself and said :
'Say on, sirs, what ye will: good tidings
we will be glad to hear." Then the clerk
look the writing and read it word by
word, the tenour of the which hereafter
followeth : —
' Charles, by the grace of God French
king, to our nephew the prince of Wales
and Acquitaine send greeting. So it is
that divers prelates, barons, knights, uni-
versities, commonatlies and colleges of the
marches and limitations of the country of
Gascoyne, and the dwellers and habitants
in the bounds of our realm,' beside divers
other of the duchy of Acquitaine, are
drawn and are come to our court to have
right of certain griels and troubles un-
lawful, that you by feeble counsel and
simple information have been in purpose
to do to them, of the which we have
marvel. Therefore to withstand and to
remedy the same matters we are so con-
joined to them, that by our royal majesty
and seignory we command you lo come
into our city of Paris in proper person,
and there you to shew and present [your-
self] before us in our chamber of our peers
and there to do r^hl on the foresaid com-
plaints and griefs, moved by you to do on
your people, who claimeth to have their
resort into our court, and that this be not
failed in as hasty wise as ye can ai^er Ihe
sight or hearing of these letters. In
witness whereof to these presents we have
set our seal. Given at Paris the twenty-
fifth' day of January.'
When the prince of Wales had read this
letter, he had great marvel and shook his
head and beheld fiercely the Frenchmen.
And when he had a httle studied, he
answered in this manner : ' Sirs, we will
gladly go to Paris to our uncle, stih he hath
sent thus for us : hut I assure you that
shall be with bassenet on our head and
sixty thousand men in our company.'
Then the two Frenchmen kneeled down
and said : ' Dear sir, for God's sake take
patience, and lake not this appeal in so
great despite nor be not displeased wilh us.
1 ■ Dwelling aQd Enhsbiling wilhin llic bounili of
= Thi btfWp: readliiB i» XV.
192
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Sir, we be messengers sent by our lord the
French king, to whom we must needs
obey, as your subjects ought to obey you :
wherefore, sir, it behoveth us to do his
commandment ; and, sir, whatsoever ye
will give us in charge to say, we shall shew
it to the king our prince and lord.* * Nay,'
quoth the prince, * sirs, I am not displeased
with you, but with them that sent you
hither ; and the king your master is not
well counselled to compoin himself with
our subjects, or to make himself judge
where he hath nothing to do nor no manner
of right. For it shall be well shewed that
at the rendering and putting in possession
of the king my father into the duchy of
Acquitaine, he quitted all manner of resorts :
for all they that hath caused this appeal to
be had against me hath none other resort of
right but into the court of England, before
the king my dear father ; and or it shall
be otherwise, I ensure you it shall cost a
hundred thousand men's lives.'
And therewith the prince departed and
went to another chamber and left them
still there. Then knights of England came
to them and said : * Sirs, ye may depart
when ye list to your lodging ; ye have right
well accomplished your message, but look
for none other answer than ye have had.'
Then the knight and the clerk departed
and went to their lodging and so dined ;
and after dinner they trussed and mounted
a-horseback and departed from Bordeaux
and took the way to Toulouse-ward, to the
intent to shew the duke of Anjou how they
had sped. The prince was sore displeased
with this appeal and so were all the knights
about him, and they counselled the prince
that the two French messengers should have
been slain for their labour ; but the prince
charged them the contrary : howbeit, he had
against them many a sore imagination, and
when it was shewed him how they were de-
parted without any other licence and that
they were ridden toward Toulouse, then he
called to him sir Thomas Felton and the
seneschal of Rouergue, sir Richard of
Pontchardon, sir Thomas Percy and his
chancellor the bishop of Bade : then the
prince demanded of them if the French
messengers had any safe-conduct of him or
not, and thev answered they knew of none
' *He prince and
lot con-
*!««>«-
venient that they should thus lightly depart
out of our country and to make their
janglings to the duke of Anjou, who loveth
us but a little. He will be glad that they
have thus summoned us in our own house.
I trow, all things considered, they be rather
messengers of mine own subjects, as the
earl of Armagnac, the lord d'Albret, the
earl of Perigord and the earls of Comminges
and Caraman, than of the French king's.
Therefore because of the great despite that
they have done to us, we would they were
overtaken and put in prison. ' Of the which
all the prince's council was right joyous and
said : * Sir, we fear ye have tarried too
long from this purpose.* Incontinent the
seneschal of Agenois was commanded to
take with him sir William the monk,^ a
right good knight of England, and that they
should ride after to stop the messengers.
And so they departed, and followed so long
after them, that at last they overtook them in
the land of Agenois, and they arrested them
and made another occasion than the prince's
commandment ; for in their arresting they
spake no word of the prince, but said how
their host, whereas they lay last, complained
on them for a horse that he said they had
changed. The knight and the clerk had
great marvel of that tidings and excused
themselves, but their excuse could not avail,
but so they were brought into the city of
Agen and put in prison. And they let some
of their pages depart, and they went by the
city of Toulouse and recorded to the duke
of Anjou all the whole matter, whereof he
was nothing displeased, for he thought well
that thereby should b^in war and hatred,
and so he prepared covertly therefor. These
tidings came to the French king, for the
pages went and recounted all the whole
matter to him, as they had heard and seen:
of the which the king was sore displeased
and took it in great despite and took counsel
and advice thereon, and specially of the
words it was shewed him that the prince
should say, when he said that he would come
personally to his uncle to answer to the
appeal made against him, with his bassenet
on his head and sixty thousand men of war
in his company. Against the which the
French king made provision right subtly
and wisely ; for he thought well it was a
^ ' The seneschal of Agenois, who was named sir
William le Moine, was charged with the business,'
RENEWAL OF WAR, 1369
"93
weighty matter to make war against the
king of Englnnil and his pnissance, seeing
how they had put his predecessors in time
past to so much labour and travail : where-
fore he Ihought it a hard matter to begin
war, but he was so sore required of the great
lords of Cascoyne and Guyenne, and also it
was shewed him what great extortions and
damages the Englishmen did daily and
■were likely to do in time to come : he
granted lo the war with an evil will, con-
sidering the destruction of the poor people
that be" thought should ensue thereby.
CHAPTERS CCXLIV-CCXLVII
SUMMARY.— Saiiral of the Frank hosl-
agis ill Englaitd procured Iktir liber ''
aequiflance by frBCuring Ike bishipric of
Winchester far WiUiam of Wickham, the
Mn^! chaplain.
The prince of Walls had taken a sickness
in Spain, of which daily he gnvi ■aorse.
The earl of PMgard and others attached
and routed Thomas Waltefare, seneschal of
JtBuerguc, in rtimm foi" the capture of
iktenvoys. TkepnrKt of Wales sent for
"irphn Chandos.
The French king sent envoys lo England,
and meanwhile made lecrtl preparations for
jeicrug Abbenille and the county ofPonthieu.
When all vias ready, the enseys returned,
and litters of deficuice were sent to the king
of England by a Breton varlit. The king
vias indignant at receiving them from such
a person, and at once prepartd to defend
Ponthieu ; but before his force could arrive.
Sir Cuichatd d' Angle, returning from
Rome, passed through France and joined
Ikt prince of Wales.
Wales, and they passed by Brittany to An-
goulSme, where the prince was.
War vias carried on with various success
in FMgord, Quercy and Languedoc.
Several tovias, including Cahors, turned
The dukes of Gueldres and Juliers sent
defiance to the French king.
The duke of Burgundy tuas married to
the daughter of the earl of Flanders,
CHAPTERS CCLIV-CCLXV
SUMMARY.— War continued in Quercy,
Poiteu and elsewhere, and sir Robert
Knolles, iiiho came from Brittany, TOai
sent into the Agineis and then laid siege
to Duravel, whither also came sir John
Chandes, the captal di Buck and others, but
they could not take either that town or
Somme. They took Gramal, Rocamadour
and Ville/ranche and so returned.
Meanwhile the earls of Cambridge and
Pembroke took Bourdeilles in Phigp-d. An
En^ish company took Belleperche in Bour-
ionnais, and in it the mother of Ike duke of
Bourbon and of the queen of France.
The English captured la Roche-sur- Yoh;
and sir John Chandos laid waste the lands
of Anjou, and then returned to Poitiers.
At this lime Ike duke of Lancaster had
been sent lo Calais, and lie duke of Bur-
gundy lay opposite to kim at Tomehem.
The earl of Pembroke, who had disdained
to go with sir John Chandos, rode into
Anfou. When reluming ht was surprised
at Ike village of Fumon by sir Louis dt
Sancerre, and being besieged there in a
building belonging lo Ike Templars, ke sent
for help to sir John Ckandos.
CHAPTER CCLXVI
CHAITERS CCXLVni-CCLin
.SUMMARY.- The king of England se'
men of war lo the frontiers of Scotland, and
also prepared to defend the coast of England,
Tie dukes oj Anjou and Berry made their
siimmens to go against the prime of Wales,
The king of England sail the ea-ls of^
K'ge atui Pembroke lo Ike prim
Between the morning and nine of the day,
when the assault was most 6ercest and thM
the Frenchmen were sore displeased that
the Englishmen endured so long, wherefore
they sent to he villages thereabout foe
pikes and mattocks to break down and
undermine the wall, which thing the
194
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Knj^Iishnien doubted most, then the earl of
IVmhroke called a squire to him and said :
* Friend, take my courser and issue out at
the back pnistem and we shall make )*ou way,
and ride straight to Poitiers and shew sir
Tohn Chandos the state and danger that we
W in, and recvimmend me to him by this
token/ and ti.K»k a ring from his linger and
deliverevl to him and said, * Take sir John
Chandos this ring : he knoweth it right well.*
The squire whv^ toc^k that enterprise thought
it shouKl Ih? a great honour to him, if he
might achieve to soaj"»e and speak with him ;
t^K^k the ring, and mounted incontinent on
his cv^urser and de{xirte\l by a pri\y way,
while the assault endurevl, and took the
way to Poitiers In the mean season the
assault was terrible ami tierce bv the French-
men, and the Englishmen delendevl ihcm-
sel\*es right valiantly with gvxxl cv»unige, as
it stvxxl them well in hand so to do.
Xv>w let us sjXMk of the tirst squire, that
defVirtevl trom l\iinenon at the hour of
mivinight and all the night he rode out of
his way, and when i: was morning and fair
day, then he knew hts w;iy and so rode
tv^warvl Poitiers* onvl by that time his horse
>»a> wicory. llowl^ci:. he c-ame thiiher by
r.i;».o v^t" the clock anvl then? oiighcevl l^efore
sir Fv^hn ChandvV Ivxt^iia^ anvi er«eied and
t"ou:\d hi:u a: mjisss, and so came and kneeled
do»n :>et"oof hioi anvi did his messyy:* as he
was vVamias^kl^xL Ar.d sir fohri Chondos*
>»hv^ was noc coR:eri: tor :h-e ocher day
tvinre, :^ that :he earl oc' Pembroke wvcld
rvt f.d>f ^;:h h::^i« as ve ^-ave h'eard befc.^re«
whvrtv'.'oro hvr «as
r.iaV«f arA c^^a: r-asce. ^c: suic
be: suic : * I: will be
"sirvi I'c u>> :o vvctw :hi:bcer tirtv envxii^h a~vl
:o h^;ar oc: :b.» tpjLSs* Arvl ar.on an^ir
««>^«^fc
VvTC,
^. ^«. •„< >U^«
bus
o — *;*:. J."'.-.
• •• « >. . w» ■ - ••, - <:■'••» »,"*! • -C* -•-~* ••..[♦» • •», •
«> < , .1 v^vwi'.sV *»v '■; -. ■» . •' .V <A. -.
N u: ' :•--.■ ; *v- ^•.:-' .-. :\"r-":c.*.V; re-
s'"" •■■■-.■,■■ c ".-■■ .*■;> ;.-iv>:'* xrc
>.-r.' jL-i;. :r\r:^ > -r.i ,"c: x*c ^''^i ,-a.-j^c :>a;
^-- ->«iii its. >{ ioL i; r*i;::«cvrc^' rr^^a s:r
" «Mft: d»( ris^ arc. i.:^:w j:
well and said : ' To come thither betimes
it were hard, if they be in that case as ye
shew me. Let us go to dinner ' : and so
sat down, and all his company, and ate the
first course. And as he was served of the
second course and was eating thereof,
suddenly sir John Chandos, who greatly bad
imagined of that matter, and at last cast up
his head and said to his company : * Sirs,
the earl of Pembroke is a noble man and of
great lineage : he is son to my natural lord
the king of England, for he hath wedded his
daughter, and in everything he is compani(Xi
to the earl of Camlvidge. He hath required
me to come to him in his business, and I
^Hight to consent to his desire and to succoiir
and comibrt him, if we may come betimes.'
Therewith he put the table from him and
said : * Sirs« I will ride toward PuirenoD':
whereof his people had great joy and in-
continent apparelled, and the trumpets
sowned and every man mounted on their
horses they that best might, as soon as they
heard that sir John Chandos would ride to
i\iirenoa to comN.>fft the earl of Pembroke
and his company, who were besatcged therei
Then every knight, squire and man of arms
went ouc into the bield, so they were more
than two hundred spears and alway tbej in-
creased. Thus OS uter rode forth together,
tivlings came to the Freochmai^ vdio had
continually oisaiilted the foctiess from the
morning till it was h%h qood^ by their
sries, w-h\> sai^l to tibena : ' Sxis* advise yon
w^^IU tor sir John Chaodos b departed from
Poitiers w;:h more thin two> hazhired speais
onvi t> coniir^ hitherwani in great haste, and
hi:I*i §wa; desire to ann.{ yva herei' And
»hier. sir Lv.hi:s ot isxaciSTe and sir John of
Vser.re. sir 'ocin ot Bmeil and tbe other
cviycai:55 heari those tsdrngsv the wisest
ir:iorv; theca said : * Sirs;, oar people ire
sere w^ory and trav-iSkd wiA a^anltxng of
:*'v: Frc*::>i:"Tis:a b».ci yesteriiy and this
,:jlv ; :"»cK:on? t tbizJt it were better that
rjLLt ard i-isi'y w\* Kturaed in suieguardwith
>uo> ^rrr.-.rip> orsd Tnsccere is we have got,
ra:>ji;r :>jlt. t,' abtuc :be aivenrare of the
^vcri.ru: oc sir J" c>z Oazdoi? and his com-
v--*. w?o ore aU i»OL i=d ttsty. for I
^rjLT w^ T*»ty ''."se 3>.'r; :::^»ti we shall win.'
V'"«; w'\ci. sVizrsei was w^sC Silieved* for
: betV^fid tvc :i»rnt Ti:mr ?: imy. Then
"vr ::*^'3: ■?»;•:< :jcwr:i?i. rie r«reat : then all
;>:i= «^:c;..'tt:T« ir^jw ivm. tie ossaok and
S/X JOHN CH.4ND0S AMD THE EARL OF PEMBROKE
■sjtembtiKl together and Inissnl up their har-
ness and cairiBge, and so relumed and look
the way to Posay.' The earl of Pemliroke
and his company knew anon thereby how
the Frenchmen had knowledge of the
coming of sir John Chandos, Then the
carl said : ' Sirs, let us all issue out and ride
toward Poitiers to meet with my dear friend
sir John Chnndoa' Then they leapt a-horse-
t)ack, such as hod any horses, and some
afoot and two and two on a horse, and so
they iaaued out of the casde and rode
toward Poitiers. And they bad not ridden
a league, but ihal they encountered sir John
Chandos and his company, and (here was
a joyful meeling ; and sir John Chandos
said Ihal he was sore displeased that he
came not or the Frenchmen were departed :
and so they rode ti^ether lalking the space
of (hiee leagues, and then they took leave
each of other. Sir John Chandos returned
lo Poitiers and the earl of Pembroke lo
Mortagne, from whence he first departed.
And the marshals of France and their com-
pany returned to Posay and there departed
their booty ; and then every man went to
their own garrison and led with them their
prisoners, and ransomed ihem courteously
in like manner as was accustomed Iwtween
the Englishmen and Frenchmen.
Now let us return to the assembly before
Tornehem, and speak of the death of the
most gentle queen, mosl liberal and most
courteous that ever was queen in her days,
■he which was the fair lady Philippa of
Hainault, queen of Kt^land and Ireland.
CHAPTERS CCLXVir-CCLXIX
SUMMA R y.—Quutt Pkilippa of England
JieJ, 14/A August 1369.
The dttke of Burgundy dtpariid from tht
dukt of Lancaster ■without l-aItU, and the
duke of Lancastir returned to Calais.
Tht carl of Pembroke rode again inta
Anjstt. The abbey of Saint-Scaiin in
Paileu twu delivered up lo Ike French,
rofo /ntt a garrison then.
The duke of Lancaster rode through
Plcardy and Normandy as far as HarJJear
and then returned. Sir Hugh de Chalillan,
cipfaiH ef Abbtvilli, iwii taken prisoner by
the English.
CHAITER CCLXX
How air John Chandos was slain in a battle,
and ho* finally the Frenchmen were dis-
comliled and taken in the same battle.
Greatly it grieved sir John Chandos the
taking of Saint - Salvin, because it was
under his rule, lor he was seneschal of
Foitou. He set all bis mind how he might
recover it again, other by force or by
stealth he cared not, so he might have it,
and for ihat intent divers nights he made
sundry bushments, but it availed not ; for
sir Louis, who kept it. took ever so good
heed thereto, that he defended il from all
dangers, for he knew well the taking thereof
frieved sore sir John Chandos at the heart,
o it fell that the niglit before the first day
of January sir John Chandos lieing in
Poitiers sent lo assemble tt^elher divers
barons, knights and squires of Poilon,
desiring them to come lo him as privily as
Ihey could, for he cerlained them how he
would ride forth : and they lefiised not his
desire, for they loved him entirely, but
shortly assembled together in the cily of
Thither came sir Guichard d'Angle, sir
fjouis Ilarcourt, the lord of Pons, the lord
of Partenay, the lord of Poyanne, Ihe lord
Tannay-Boulon, sir Geoifrey d'Argenlon,
sir Mauburny of Linieres, sir Thomas Percy,
sir Baudwin of Freville, sir Richard of
Pontchardon and divers other. And when
they were all together a^isemblcd, they were
Ihree hundred spears, and departed by
nighl from Poiliets. None knew whither
they should go except certain of Ihe lords,
and they had ready with ihem scaling
ladders and so came lo Saint-Balvin and
there alighted and delivered their horses to
their verlets, which was about midnight,
and so entered into the dike. Vet they
had not their intent so shortly ; for suddenly
they heard Ihe watch-horn blow : I shall
tell you wherefore it blew. The same
night Chariiel '- was departed from the
Roche of Posay with a forly spears with
him and was come the same time lo Saint-
Salvin to speak with ihe captain, air Louis
of Saint-Julian, to the intent to have ridden
196
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
together to Poitou, to see if they could get
any prey : and so he called up the watch-
man, the which made him to sound his
horn. And so the Englishmen, who were
on the other side of the fortress, hearing
the watch blow and great noise in the
place, feared lest they had been spied by
some spies, for they knew nothing that the
said Frenchmen were on the other side to
have entered into the place. Therefore
they withdrew back again out of the dikes
and said : * Let us go hence for this night,
for we have failed of our purpose.* And
so they remounted on their horses and
returned whole together to Chauvigny on
the river of Creuse, a two leagues thence.
Then the Poitevins demanded of sir John
Chandos if he would command them any
further service. He answered and said :
'Sirs, return home again when it please
you in the name of God, and as for this
day I will abide still here in this town.*
So there departed the knights of Poitou
and some of England to the number of two
hundred spears.
Then sir John Chandos went into a
house and caused to be made a good fire :
and there was still with him sir Thomas
Percy and his company, seneschal of
Rochelle, who said to sir John Chandos :
* Sir, is it your intent to tarry here all this
day?' *Yea truly, sir,' quoth he; *why
demand you ? ' * Sir, the cause I desire you
is, sith ye will not stir this day, to give me
leave and I will ride some way with my
company, to see if I can find any adventure.'
* Go your way, sir, in the name of God,'
quoth sir John Chandos. And so departed
sir Thomas Percy with a thirty spears in
his company, and so passed the bridge at
Chauvigny and took the long way that
led to Poitiers : and sir John Chandos
abode still behind, full of displeasure in
that he had failed of his purpose ; and so
stood in a kitchen warming him by the fire,
and his servants jangled with him to the
intent to bring him out of his melancholy.
His servants had prepared for him a place to
rest him : then he demanded if it were near
day, and therewith there came a man into
the house and came before him and said :
* Sir, I have brought you tidings. ' * What
be they ? tell me.' * Sir, surely the French-
be riding abroad. ' * How knowest
?• 'Sir,' said he, *I departed
from Saint -Salvin with them.' *What
way be they ridden ? ' * Sir, I cannot tell
you the certainty, but surely they took the
highway to Poitiers.* *What Frenchmen
be they, canst thou tell me ? ' * Sir, it is
sir Louis of Saint-Julian and Charuel the*
Breton. * * Well, ' quoth sir John Chsuidos, ■
* I care not. I have no list this night to
ride forth. They may hap to be encoun-
tered, though I be not there. ' And so he
tarried there still a certain space in a great
study ; and at last, when he had well
advised himself, he said : * Whatsoever I
have said herebefore, I trow it be good
that I ride forth. I must return to Poitiers,
and anon it will be day. ' * That is true,
sir,' quoth the knights about him. Then
he said : * Make ready, for I will ride
forth ' : and so they did, and mounted on
their horses and departed and took the
right way to Poitiers coasting the river,
and the Frenchmen the same time were
not past a league before him in the same
way, thinking to pass the river at the
bridge of Lussac. There the Englishmen
had knowledge how they were in the track
of the Frenchmen, for the Frenchmen's
horses cried and brayed because of the
English horses that were before them with
sir Thomas Percy. ^ And anon it was feir
light day, for in the beginning of January
the mornings be soon light, and when the
Frenchmen and Bretons were within a
league of the bridge, they perceived on the
other side of the bridge sir Thomas Percy
and his company, and he likewise per-
ceived the Frenchmen and rode as fast as
he might to get the advantage of the bridge,
and said : * Behold yonder Frenchmen be
a great number against us : therefore let us
take the advantage of the bridge.* And
when sir Louis and Charuel saw the Eng-
lishmen make such haste to get the bridge,
they did in Hke wise ; howbeit, the Eng-
1 This is quite wrong, but the French text is
largely responsible for the errors. According to
the true reading it should be : ' And the Engfish-
men had knowledge of it by their horses, whidi
followed the course of the Frenchmen's horses and
entered into the track of the Frenchmen's horses:
so they said : " Either sir Thomas Percy or the
Frenchmen are riding before us.*" The trans-
lator's text had * fray ' for * froais ' (track), which he
did not understand, and was quite corrupt in the
latter part, omitting 'si disent' and giving, 'ou
messire Thomas de Persy chevauchoit devant eulx.*
He found it unintelligible and altered it to make
some sense.
r
DEATH OF SIR JOHN CHANDOS, 1369
n gat it first, and lighted all afoot
ranged themselves in gooil order to
the bridge. The Frenchmen like-
jhled afoot and delivered their horses
ir pages, commanding them to draw
and so did put themselves in good
to go and assail the Englishmen,
ept themselves close together and
olhing affrayed, though they were but
Iful of men as to the regard of the
imen. And thus, as the Frenchmen
clons studied and imagined how and
at means to their advantage thev
assail the Englishmen, Ihecewitt
ame behind them sir John Chandos,
iner displayed, bearing therein silver,
p pile gules, and Jakes of Alery, a
man of aims, did bear it, and he
Ih him a forty spears. He approached
r the Frenchmen, and when he was
fuiloDgs from the bridge, the French
vbo saw them coming were aOrayed,
1 ran away with the horses and left
nasters there afoot. And when sir
'handoa was come near to them, he
' Hark ye. Frenchmen, ye are but
en of war : ye ride at your pleasure
se day and night ; ye take and win
aind fortresses in Poitoo, whereof I
icschal : ye ransom poor folk without
ive : ye ride all about clean armed,
n the country ' " ' '
Ye, s
LouiE
. find t
■ou, and now, I thank God, I see
id speak to you. Now shall it be
vho is stronger, other you or I.
I been shewed me oftentimes that ye
^eatly desired to find me : now ye
;e me here ; I am John Chandos,
me well. Your great feats of arms
vilh ye he renowned, by God's leave
lall we prove it.' While such Ian-
was spoken, sir John Chandos' com-
drew together, and sir Louis and
'X kept themselves close together,
jsemblant to be glad 10 be fought
^and of all this matter sir Thomas
as on the other side of the
lothing, for the bridge
r John tlHiandoi reasoned thus
with the Frenchmen, there was a Breton
took his glaive and could forbear no longer,
but came to an English squire called Sim-
kin Dodale, and strake him so in the breast,.
that he cast him down from his horse.
John Chandos, when he heard that
beside him, he turned that way ani
his squire lie on the earth and the French,^
men laying on him.^ Then he was
chafed than he was before, and said
company : ' Sirs, how suffer you this squi
thus to be slain? Afoot, afoot!' and
he leapt albot and all his company, and
Simkin was rescued and the battle begun.
Sir John Chandos, who was a right hard
and a courageous knight, with his bonm,
before him and his company about him^
with his coat of arms on him great and
large, beaten with his arms of white sarcenet
with two piles gules one before and another
behind, so that he seemed to be a sufficient
knight to do a great feat of arms, and as
one of the foremost with his glaive in his
hand inarched to his enemies. The same
morning there had fallen
197 ^^^
jnger,
to hit ■
juire
d so
un. _^^H
ard^^H
nn«^^^H
and^^^
that the
his going forward he slode and fell
down at the joining with his enemies ; and
as he was arising there lit a stroke on him
given by a squire called Jaques of Saint-
Martin with his glaive, the which stroke
entered into the flesh under his eye between .
the nose and the forehead. Sir John
Chandos saw not the stroke coming on
that side, for he was blind on the one eye.
He lost the sight thereof a five year before,
as he bunted at\er an hart in the Isunds of
BordeauK, and also he had on no visor.
The stroke was rude and entered into
his brain, the which stroke grieved him so
sore, that he overthrew to the earth and
turned for pain two times up-se-down, as
he that was wounded to death ; for after
the stroke he never 5]Kike word. And
when his men saw that misfortune, they
were right dolorous : then his uncle Edward
Clifford stept and bestrode him, for the
Frenchmen would fain have had him, and
defended him so valiantly and gave round
ibout hinr
iuch s
ir John Clan-
iir Dertram of Casselis seemed
tt of their minds, u
r lie on the earth. The Bretons
198
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
and Frenchmen were greatly comforted,
when they saw the captain of their enemies
on the earth, thinking verily that he had
his death's wound. Then they advanced
themselves and said : * Ye Englishmen,
yield you, for ye are all ours, ye cannot
scape us.' There the Englishmen did
marvels in arms, as well to defend them-
selves as to revenge their master sir John
Chandos, whom they saw lie in a hard case.
And a squire of sir John Chandos spied
Jaques of Saint-Martin, who had given his
master his mortal stroke, and ran to him
fiercely and struck him with such violence,
that his glaive pierced through both his
thighs. Howbeit, for all that stroke, he
left not still to fight.
If sir Thomas Percy and his company
had known of this adventure, who were on
the other side of the bridge, they should
well have succoured him ; but because they
knew nothing thereof, nor heard no more
of the Frenchmen, weening to them they
had been gone back, therefore he and his
company departed and took the way to
Poitiers, as they that knew nothing of that
business. Thus the Englishmen fought still
before the bridge of Lussac, and there was
done many a feat of arms. Briefly, the
Englishmen could endure no longer against
the Frenchmen, so that the most part of
them were discomfited and taken, but
always Edward Clifford would not depart
from his nephew, thereas he lay. So thus,
if the Frenchmen had been so happy as to
have had their horses there ready, as they
had not, for their pages were run away from
them before, or else they might have de-
parted with much honour and profit with
many a good prisoner, and for lack of them
they lost all : wherefore they were sore dis-
pleased and said among themselves : * Ah,
this is an evil order ; for the journey is ours,
and yet through fault of our pages we can-
not depart, seeing we be heavy armed and
sore travailed, so that we cannot go afoot
through this country, the which is full of
our enemies and contrary to us, and we are
a six leagues from the next fortress that we
have, and also divers of our company be
sore hurt and we may not leave them be-
hind us.' Thus as they were in this case
and wist not what to do, and had sent two
Tlretons unarmed into the fields to see if
* find any of their pages with their
horses, V there came on them sir Guichard
d'Angle, sir Louis Harcourt, the lord
Partenay, the lord Tannay-Bouton, the
lord d'Argenton, the lord of Poyanne, sir
Jaques of Surgeres, and divers other
Englishmen to the number of two hundred
spears, who rode about to seek for the
Frenchmen, for it was shewed them how
they were abroad : and so they fell in the
track of the horses and came in great haste
with banners and pennons waving in the
wind. And as soon as the Bretons and
Frenchmen saw them coming, they knew
well they were their enemies : then they
said to the Englishmen whom they had
taken as prisoners before : * Sirs, behold
yonder cometh a band of your company
to succour you, and we perceive well that
we cannot endure against them, and ye be
our prisoners. We will quit you, so that
ye will keep us, and will become your
prisoners ; for we had rather yield us to
you than to them that cometh yonder.*
And they answered : * As ye will, so are
we content.' Thus the Englishmen were
loosed out of their prisons. Then the
Poitevins, Gascons and Englishmen came
on them, their spears in their rests, crying
their cries. Then the Frenchmen and
Bretons drew aside and said to them : 'Sirs,
leave : do us no hurt : we be all prisoners
already.*^ The Englishmen affirmed the
same and said : * They be our prisoners.'
Charuel was prisoner with sir Bertram of
Casselis and sir Louis of Saint-Julian with
sir John Clanvowe, so that there was none
but that he had a master.
The barons and knights of Poitou were
sore discomforted, when they saw their
seneschal sir John Chandos lie on the earth
and could not speak. Then they lament-
ably complained and said, * Ah, sir John
Chandos, the flower of all chivalry, un-
happily was that glaive forged that thus
hath wounded you and brought you in
peril of death. ' They wept piteously that
were about him, and he heard and under-
stood them well, but he could speak no
word. They wrung their hands and tare
their hairs and made many a pitiful com-
plaint, and specially such as were of his
own house. Then his servants unarmed
him and laid him on pavises and so bare
^ ' Ho, seigneurs, cessez, cessez : nous sommes
prisonniers.'
r
LIMOGES ll'ON BY THE FRENCH, 1370
(fily to Mortimer, the next fortress to
And the other barons and knights
ed to Poitiers and led with them
prisoners : a.nd as I understood, the
jaquES Martin that thus hurt sii John
ios was so little taken heed to of his
that he died at Poitiers. And this
knight sir John Chajidos lived not
lis hurt past a day and a night, but
d. God have mercy on his soul ; for
iiindred ye^tr after there was not' a
courteous nor more fuller of nohle
i and good conditions among the
ihmen than he was. And when the
;, heard of his death, they
nfoited, and sidd they had lost all
It side of the sea. For his death his
s and also some of his enemies were
orrowful. TheEnglishmenlovedhim,
se all nobleness was found in him :
'renchmen hated him because thej
ed him ! yet I heard his death greatly
lained among tight noble and valiant
ts of France, saying that it was ;
damage of his death, for they said
et it had been that he had been taken
: for if he had lieen taken alive,' they
' he was so sage and so imoginF
te would have found some mann
means whereby the peace might have
d between the realms of Englauc
e ; for he was so well beloved
ini^ of England, that the king would
e him rnther than any olher in the
.' Thus both French and English
of his death, and specially the Eng-
en, for by him Guyenne was kept and
lAPTFRS CCLXXI-CCLXXIX
'AtAMV. — Thi: lord of Comy, bcing^
i-law la the king of Engliaid, tbbh/: '
nit pari in the mar and 'amil in/
e king of E'^land sent lelttrs int
' •( giving up the fouagi, but Iki
pefche, but the earls of Cambridge and
Pembroke marrked Ihither with a large
force and removed thtnee the lady of Bour-
bon and tht garrison.
" was purposed thai in tki following
•ter the duke of Anjou should enter
Acquilaine by Btrgirai and Ike dukt of
Berry by Limeges and Qutrcy, and se mat
before Angoulhrie. It was resolmd also to
send for Berlrattd dtt Cutsclin from Spain.
The Prtnch king mads a treaty ■with the
king ofNaiiarre.
Bertrand du Caesclin came to the duke
of Anjou at Toulouse.
Thi duke of Anjou toot Moisac and
Montpeiai, while the duke of Berry lay at
siege before Limoges. The prince of Wales
summoned his host to meet at Cognac.
Peace jobs made be/ween England and
Scotland for nine years and sir Robert
Kttolles came over to Calais ■with a hundred
spears of Scotland in his company. With
fifteen hundred spears and four thousand
archers he laid waste the lands of Picardy
and Vermandois.
The duke of Anjou dismissed Ms army
and -went la Cahors.
Bertrand du Guesilin came to tht siege of
Limeges, which was on Ike point of sur-
CHAPTER CCLXXX
How they of Llmoees yielded Ihem to the
duke of Berry, and how the same duke
brake up his army.
When sir Bertram was come again to the
siege,' the Frenchmen were greatly rejoiced
of his coming. Then anon they pursued
the treaty that was begun between the
bishop of Limoges and them of the city
and the duke of Beriy. And so finally the
bishop and they of the city turned them
and became French, and the duke of Berry
and the duke of Bourbon entered into the
city, and sir Guy of Blois and olher lords
of France, wilh great joy, and took faith
and homage of them of the city, and so
refreshed and rested them there a three
days ! and so determineil there in council
f Bourbon laid siege
200 THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
to break up their army for that time, as the Montferrant, the lord of Caamont, the lord
duke of Anjou had done, and to return into Langoiran, sir Aymery of Tastes, the lord
their own countries to keep and defend of Pommiers, the lord of Mussidan, the lord
their to>*-ns and fortresses because of sir of Lesparre, the lord of Geronde and
Robert KnoUes, who was still abroad in the divers other ; Englishmen, as sir Thomas
field in France; also the)* said how they Percy, the lord Ros, the lord ^Villiam
had right well sped in winning of such Beauchamp, sir Michael de la Pole, the
a city as Limoges. So this counsel and lord Stephen Cosington, sir Richard of
advice was not broken, but thus these lords Pontchardon, sir Baud win of Freville, sir
departed each from other, and sir Bertram Simon Burley, sir d'Aghorisses, sir John
abode still in the parts of Limousin with Devereux, sir William of Nevill and (fivers
two hundred spears and kept the castles of other, the which I carmot all name ; and of
the lore! of MelvaU the which were turned Hainowes there was sir Eustace d'Aubred-
French. \Mien the duke of Berry departed court : and of the companions sir Perducas
from Limoges, he ordained and set in the d*Albret, Naudan of Bageran, and thither
same citA* at the request of the bishc^ sir came le botirg de Lesparre, le bourg de
John of \'illemur, sir Hugh de la Roche Breteuil, Espiote, Beniard de Wist and
and Roger Beaufort, with a hundred men divers othia*. So all these men of war
of arms, and then he went into Berrj- and went fcnrth in good ordinance and took the
the duke of Bourbon into Bourbonnois, and fields, and all the country trembled befoce I
other lords of farther marches went hcMne them. The prince was so diseased that
into their own countries. Now let us Ih^ could not ride, but so was carried in
speak of the prince, how he sped. a horse litter ; and he took the way of
When tidings m-as come to the prince Limousin to the intent to come to Limciges,
that the city of Limoges was turned French, . and at last thither they came, and so lod^
and how that the bishop, who was his ! round about the city ; and there the {xince
gossip and in whom he had before great i swore that he would never depart thence
trust and confidence, was chief aider to I till he had the dty at his pleasure.
}-ieId up the city and to become French. The bishop within axid the boigesses
with the which :he prince was sore dis- considered well how ther had greatly tres-
pleasevi and set less force in* the men of passed the prince, whereof then they repented
the Church, in whom before he had great them« but tlKm they could not remedy it,
trust. Then he sware bv his fiither's soul, fe>r thev were not as then lords nor master
whereby he was r.e\-er forsworn, that he of their own dty. Sir John Villemor, sir
would get it acriin ar.d that he wcmld make Hugh de la Roche and Roger Beanibrt,
the traitors dearly abye their £ilseness. who were captains within the dty, com-
\Mien the mv^^ jur: of his people were forted greatly their people and said : * Sii%
cv»me. they were numbered to twelve hun- be not afraid, we are strong enoD|^ to
dred si^ears. kri^h^s and squires, a thou- resist against the prince's power; for ly
sand archers ani a thousand * men afoot : assault he cannot hart nor grieve us, we
and so he depiirte-i from the town of are all well furnished with artillery.'
Cognac and wi:h h:rr. his two brethren, the When the prince and his marshals bad
viuke of Lanoascer and the earl of Cam- well imagined and coctsidared the puissance
brl.i^e. Sir Thon*-is Fet:c»n and the cirtal and strength of the city and had knowledge
--f Fu -h ib«>ie s::ll it Eergerac. to keep the of the numSfr of men of war within, then
fr--r.::er ic"^">" --e Frenchmen and com- :hey saii how by assault they could never
7ir.::r.> :r.j.: 'aere :n the countr^^ An.: »-in it. Then the prince thought to assay
vr::h :>.e rr:r.«-e il>-^ i»^as sir Guicharv: another way. He had alw-jLvs in his com-
■."A-^*e. sir !.-.::< {tircourt, the !v^,i of ranv a x^rea: number of miners, and so he
?:-.?. :-.f *.:ri .f Firtenay. the lord of set then*, a -work to undermine. The
F :":!-- f. :~.e !::i f Tinnay-Foutor. sir knights within perceived well how they
F;:r.-x"-jL: :f J;-::! -vT.e. sir G^xifrev o/Arv^en- w-re un.iermined and bes:an to make dikes
ton. Foitevins : ini Gisoons* the lor J. of ini :? o.^cntermine. to ibe intent to break
- * ElK*e=aev: jess.* — ^" Ul-ne.
>r\-^ir\i7~g r,-" ihe trae text.
CHAPTERS CCLXXXr, CCLXXXII
SUMMARY.— Sir Robert Kaalhi devas-
Idled Frame as far at Iki galls nf Pari!.
Bertrand du Gutsclin made war in
Limousin aiid tsok SainI- Yrieix.
CHAPTER CCLXXXIII
Jic prince took the city of Limoges.
About the space of a month at mori
the prince of Wales before the city of
Unities, and there was neither assault nor
scrimmish, hut daily they mined. And (hey
within knew well how they were mini
and made a cotintermine Ihereagainsl
have destroyed the English miners ; 1
they failed of iheii mine. And when the
prince's miners saw how the counlenninf
against them failed, they said to the prince:
the dikes, whereby ye shall enter into the
city at your ease without any danger.
Which words pleased greatly the prince
and said : ' I will that to-morrow betime
ye shew forth and execute your work.'
Then [he miners set lire into their mine.
and so the next morning, as the prince had
ordained, there fell down a great pane of
the wall and Riled the dikes, whereof the
Englishmen were glad and were ready
armed in the field to enter into the town.
The foot-men might well enter at their
ease, and so they did and ran to the gate
and b^t down the forlilying and barriers,
ibr there was no defence against them ; it
Vras done so suddenly that Ihey of the town
Then the prince, the duke of Lancaster,
the eail of Cambridge, the earl of Pem-
liroke, sir Guichard d' Angle and all the
other with their companies entered into the
city, and all other (oot-men, ready ap-
parelled to do evil, and to pill and rob the
oty, and to slay men, women and children,
for so it was commanded them to do. It
Vas great pity to see the men, women and
ihildien that kneeled down on their knees |
before the prince for mercy ; but he was sn
inflamed with ire, that he took no heed to
them, so that none was heard, but all put to
death, as they were met withal, and such
as were notliing culpable. There was no
pity taken of the poor people, who wrought
never no manner of treason, yet they
bought it dearer than the great personages,
such as had done the evil and trespass.
There was not so hard a heart within the
city of Limoges, an if he had any remem-
brance of God, but that wept piteousty for
the great mischief that they saw before
their eycn : for more than three thousand
men, women and children were slain and
beheaded that day. God have mercy on
their souls, for I trow they were martyrs.
And thus entering into the city a certain
company of Enghshmen entered into the
bishop's palace and there they found the
lashop : and so they brought him to the
prince's presence, who beheld him right
fiercely and felly, and the best word that
he could have of him whs, how he would
his head stricken off, and so he was
had out of his sight.
Now let us speak of the knights that
;re within the city, as sir John of Ville-
iir, sir Hugh de la Roche, Ri^er Beau-
rl, son to the earl of Beaufort, captains
of the city. When they saw the tribula-
tion and pestilence that ran over them and
their company, they said one to another :
' We are all dead, without we defend our-
selves : therefore lei us sell our lives dearly,
as good knights ought to do.' Then sir
John of Villemur said to Rc^;er Beaufort:
' Rceer, it behovelh that ye be made a
tnight.' Then Rc^er answered and said :
Sir, I am not as yet worthy to be a knight :
I thank you, sir, of your good-will.' So
there was no more said ; they had not the
to sneak long together. Howbeit,
isemiiled them together in a place
against an old wall and there displayed
their banners. So they were to the number
of eighty persons. Thither came the duke
of Lancaster, the earl of Cambridge and
their companies and so lighted afoot, so
the Frenchmen could not long endure
against the Englishmen, for anon they were
slain and taken. Howbeit, the duke of
himself fought long hand to hand
John Villemur, who was a strong
knight and a hardy, and the earl of Cam-
202
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
bridge fought against sir Hugh de la Roche,
and the earl of Pembroke against Roger
Beaufort, who was as then but a squire.
These three Frenchmen did many feats of
arms : their men were occupied otherwise.
The prince in his chariot came by them
and beheld them gladly and appeased him-
self in beholding of them. So long they
fought together that the three Frenchmen,
by one accord beholding^ their swords,
said : * Sirs, we be yours, ye have con-
quered us : do with us according to right
of arms.* *Sir,' quoth the duke of Lan-
caster, * we look for nothing else : therefore
we receive you as our prisoners/ And thus
the foresaid three Frenchmen were taken,
as it was informed me.
CHAPTER CCLXXXIV
How the city of Limoges was brent and
destroyed, and the bishop delivered from
death ; and how sir Bertram of Guesclin
was chosen constable.
Thus the city of Limoges was pilled,
robbed and clean brent and brought to
destruction. Then the Englishmen de-
parted with their conquest and prisoners
and drew to Cognac, where my lady the
princess was. Then the prince gave leave
to all his men of war to depart and did no
more that season ; for he felt himself not
well at ease, for always his sickness in-
creased, whereof his brethren and people
were sore dismayed.
Now shall I shew you of the bishop of
Limoges, who was in great peril of losing
of his head. The duke of Lancaster desired
of the prince to give him the bishop, to do
with him at his pleasure. The prince was
content and caused him to be delivered to
the duke. The bishop had friends, and
they had newly informed the pope, who
was as then at Avignon, of the bishop's tak-
ing, the which fortuned well for the bishop,
for else he had been dead. Then the pope
by sweet words entreated the duke of Lan-
caster to deliver to him the said bishop. The
duke would not deny the pope, but granted
■" * En regardant ' in the French text, but the true
ig is • en rendant,' ' rendering.* The mistake
by a repetition of * regardant ' just above.
him and sent him to Avignon, whereof the
pope was right glad.
Now let us speak of the adventures of
France.
The French king was informed of the
destruction and conquest of the city of
Limoges, and how it was left clean void as
a town of desert, wherewith he was sore
displeased and took it in great passion, the
damage and annoy of the inhabitants of the
same. Then was it advised in France by
counsel of the nobles, prelates and commons
of all the realm, that it was of necessity
that the Frenchmen should have a chief
and a governour called the constable ; for
sir Moreau of Fiennes would leave and
give up his office, who was a right valiant
man of his hands and a great enterpriser of
deeds of arms. So that, all things con-
sidered and imagined, by a common accord
they chose sir Bertram of Guesclin, so that
he would take it on him, as the most
valiant knight, most virtuous and most able
to execute that office and most fortunate
that they knew as then, that bare arms for
the crown of France. Then the king wrote
and sent certain messengers to him, that he
should come and speak with him at Paris.
The messengers found him in the county of
Limoges, whereas he took fortresses and
castles and made them to yield to the lady
of Bretayne, wife to sir Charles of Blois,
and as then he had newly taken a town
called Brantome and was riding towards
another. And when the king's messengers
were come to him, he received them joy-
ously and right sagely, as he that could do
it right well. Then the messengers de-
livered to him the king's letter and did his
message, and when sir Bertram saw thfi
commandment of the king, he would make
none excuse, but concluded to go and know
the king's pleasure ; and so departed, as
soon as he might, and sent the most partrf
his men into garrisons such as he had col-
quered, and he made sovereign and keeper
of them sir Oliver of Mauny his nephew.
Then he rode forth so long by his journeys
that he came to Paris, where he found the
king and great number of lords of his cooB*
cil, who received him right joyously and
did him great reverence ; and there the
king shewed him how he and his council
had chosen him to be constable of France
Then he excused himself right sagely and
r
BEIiTRAND DU GVESCUN CONSTABLE
3 that foil
E ha.lh a. littlE
iced me.' Then the king said
for nothing that ye excuse you ; it
feth you to take it ; (or it is so ot-
d and determined by all the council
ance, the which in no wise I will
.' Then sir Bertram excused himself
by another way and said : ' Right
sir and noble lung, I may not nor
lot withssy your noble pleasure ; how-
air, it is of truth that I am hut a poor
md too low of hlood to come to the
of constable of France, the which is
;al and so noble an office. For it is
nient that he that will exercise and
I himself well in that ofBcE must Com-
as well and rather the great men
the small personages. And, sir, be-
here my lords your brethren, your
:»s and your cousins, who hath chai^
ny men of war in your host and jour-
Sir, how durst I then he so bold as
mmand them? Certainly, sir, envy
jreal that I ought to fear it. There-
iir, I require your grace, pardon me,
jive this office to some other that
1 gladlict have it than I, and that may
■execute Ihc office.' ITicn the king
^red and said: 'Sir ftertram, excuse
[Ot by that way, for I have neither
et, cousin nor nephew, earl nor baron
f realm, but that shall obey you.
r any do the contrary, 1 shall so anger
hat he shall perceive well my displea-
Therefore, sir, take joyously the
I require you.' Sir Bertram saw
that any excusations that he could
should not avail : then finally he
led to the opinion of Ihe king r^ht
igain«t his wilL So then with great
r Bertram of Guesclin was made con-
of France, and farther to hisadvance-
the king caused him to sit at his (able
hewed all the tokens of love that he
devise, and gave him with the office
i gifts and great lands and heritage to
ind lo his heirs for ever. To this
ilion did help greatly tlie duke of
CHAPTERS CCLXXXV-CCXCIII
SUMMARY.— Berlrand ii« Gutscli« df
feaUd somt ef sir Roberi Knolles' (omfany
at Pimt-Vallain and sir Robert Knolles
wtkdrcTD le Brittany.
Urban V. died, and Gregory XI. became
popt.
The eldest !on of the frinee of Wales died,
and Ihe prittce himself by ike adviee of his
physicians relumed into England. He left
the duke ef Lancaster tg gveera Ihe duchy
of Acquilaim.
The duke if Lancaster loot Mont- Paon.
Bertrand du Guesclin taoh sctieral plates
in Rauergue and elsnvhere.
The earl of Hereford defeated the Flem-
ings by sea at la Bale in Brittany, and
the king of England made alar by sea on
the Flemings ; but they of Bruges, Ypres
and Gaunt sent into En0and to treat far a
peace, tahich vias made en certain con-
CHAPTERS CCXCIV-CCCI
SUMMARY. — The kingef Mallorca was
set free and made -jar on the king of
The dulse of Lancaster married the eldest
daughter af the king don Pedro of Castile, J
and king Henry ^ Castile made allianet^
land, leaving gmieraoHrs in Acquitai,
Apr the winter the king af England sent
the earl of Pembroke into Poilou. The
king of Franee ordained a ^eet of Spaniards
lo lie in mail far him at La Roehelle. The
English ■were totally dtfealed in a sea fighl
{June%'i,\yj2\ andtheearl of Pembrokeand
sir Guithard d^ Angle were triade prisoners.
In the same season Ovien of IVales landed
in Guernsey and defeated the English there, i
7'he earl of Pembroke and the other ^
prisoners leere brought to king Henry «-
Spain.
CHAPTERS CCCII-CCCVI
^
L^
204
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
and La Rochelle turned French^ and the
whole of Poitou, Saintonge and Rochelle
was conquered from the English,
CHAPTERS CCCVII-CCCXIII
SUMMAR Y. — War was carried on against
the English in Brittany^ and siege was laid
to Becherel.
King David of Scotland died and was
succeeded by Robert Stuart his nephew.
The constable du Guesclin came to Brit-
tany ^ and the duke of Brittany retired to
England. Nearly all Brittany was con-
quered by the French in spite of the efforts
of the English to strengthen their forces.
The duke of Anjou conquered towns in
upper Gascony.
Negotiations for a peace were carried on
at Bruges^ and a truce was made, to last for
one year.
CHAPTER CCCXIV
Of the journey that the lord of Coucy made
in Austrich, and of the death of the prince
of Wales, and how there could be found
no manner of treaty of peace between the
two kings : and also of the death of the
king of England, Edward the third.
The same season there was come into
France the lord of Coucy, who had been
long in Lombardy with the earl of Vertus,
son to sir Galeas, making war against sir
Bernabo and his allies, because of pope
Gregory the eleventh, and for the holy
college of Rome. The lord of Coucy by
succession of his mother, who was sister to
the duke of Austrich last deceased, where-
by he ought to be inheritor to the duchy,
for the duke was dead without issue by way
of marriage : and they of Austrich had
given the duchy and lands to another
farther off by lineage than the lord Coucy,
whereof the lord Coucy had oftentimes
complained to the emperor, the lord Charles
of Bohemia. The emperor knew well that
the lord Coucy had right thereto : howbeit,
he might not with his ease constrain them
of Austrich, for they were strong in his
country and many good men of war. The
lord of Coucy had made war there before by
the comfort of his aunt, sister to the duke,
but little it availed him. And when he
was thus come into France, the king made
him great cheer. Then he advised and saw
well how there was in France as then many
men of war sat as idle : wherefore he
thought they could not be better occupied
than to help him to his right during the
truce between France and England. Then
the lord of Coucy desired the king to let
him have of the Bretons such as overran the
realm, to make war with him in Austrich.
The king, who would gladly that the com-
panions were out of his realm, accorded to
his desire : so the king lent or gave him, I
cannot tell whether, a sixty thousand fraiJcs
to depart among the said companions. So
they rode forth toward Austrich about the
feast of Saint Michael : they did much evil
all the ways as they went : also there were
divers barons, knights and squires of France^
of Artois, of Vermandois, of Hainault and
of Picardy, as the viscounts of Meaux and
d^Aunay, sir Ralph of Coucy, the baron of
Roye, Peter of Bar and divers other, desir-
ing to advance their bodies to get them
honour.
When the feast of All Saints began to
approach, then there came again to Bruges
to entreat for peace from the French king^
the duke of Burgoyne, the earl of Sane-
bruck, the bishop of Amiens and the duke
of Anjou, but he lay still at Saint-Omer's;
and from the king of England thither came
the duke of Lancaster, the duke of B^^
tayne, the earl of Salisbury, the bishop of
London. The town of Bruges was wdl
garnished with divers estates, and specially
the duke of Burgoyne kept there a nobfc
estate ; and with the duke of Lancaster
there was sir Robert of Namur and kept
him good company as long as the dul^
was in Flanders ; and there were the am-
bassadors, the archbishop of Rouen and
the bishop of Carpentras, who went still
and laboured between both parties and laid
forth many good reasons, but none came to
any effect. These lords were far asunder
in their treaties ; for the French king de-
manded to have again fourteen hundred
thousand franks, the which were paid for
the redemption of king John, and to hate
Calais rased and beaten down, to the which
the king of England would never consent:
so the truce was continued to the feast of
\
^
S^nt John Baplisl next oftec, Ihe year
of our Lord a thousand Ihree hundred and
seventy-six. And so these lords laitied
still at Bruges ail that winter, and in sum-
mer they returned every part to their own
countries, except Ihe duke of Bretayne,
who tallied still in Flandeis with the eail
Louis his cousin, who made him good
The same season on Trinity Sunday
there passed out of this world the flower of
chivalry of England, Edward prince of
Wales and of Acquitaine, at the king's
palace of Westminster beside London.
And so he was embalmed and put in lead
and kept till the feast of Saint Michael next
after, to be interred with the greater
solemnity when the parliament should be
there. King Charles of France because of
lineE^e did his obseqny reverently in the
Holy Chapel of the palace in Paris, and
there were many of the prelates and nobles
tFf the realm of France ; and so then the
truce was prolonged to the lirsl day of
April next after.
Now let us somewhat speak of the lord
Caucy and of the Almains. When they of
Ausirich and the Almains understood that
lliF lord of Caucy was come with such a
ilrenglti to make War, they caused to be brent
Wid destroyed three days' journey into the
fjun try along by the river,and then ihey went
inio the mountains and places inhabitable.
And so when the lordofCoucy had weened
Iq have found victual for his host, he could
&t none ; whereby he suffered that winter
n>uch trouble and disease, for ihey wist
lot whither to go lo forage nor to get
victual for them nor their horses, so that
Some died for hunger, cold and sickness :
Jnd therefore when the springing time
began, they returned again into France,
Htia went into divers places lo refresh them-
selves. And the French king sent the
"lost part of [he companions into Bretayne
and into base Normandy lo abide and rest
titere, for he thought well he should have
^Diewhat to do in short time after. And
at the reluming of the lord Coucy into
J'tance, he btgan to be good French, be-
cause he found the king so amiable to con-
4eicend lo his desire, and also his council
^id he need not to avoid outof hLi heritage
Under the shadow of Ihe king of England's
^^, for they said he was French of name.
of blood, of arms and extraction. He sent
his wife into England and kept still with
him his eldest daughter, and left the
younger still in England, whereas she had
been brought up and nouiished. Then the
French king sent the lord Coucy lo Bruges
to them that were there to entreat for the
peace. Howbeit, as then the great lords
were not there, but all only the duke of
Bretayne, who was still with his cousin the
earl of Flanders ; but he busied himself
but little in the treaty for the peace.
And after the feast of Saint Michael,
when the obsequy of the prince was done
and finished, then the king of England
made lo be known to his sons, the duke of
Lancaster, the earl of Cambridge, and to
the lord Thomas the youngest, and to all
the barons, earls, prelates and knights of
England, bow that the young Richard
should be king after his decease, and so
caused them all to swear solemnly to main-
lain him. And on Christmas day Ihe king
made him to sit al his table above all his
own children in great estate, representing
that he should be king after his decease.
And there was sent to Bruges for the king
of England's part John lord Cobham, the
bishop of Hereford and the dean of London;
and for the French part thither came the
earl of Sarrebtuck, the lord of Chatillon
and master Philbert rEspinosse; and the
two bishops ambassadors always went be-
tween the parlies treating for peace and
spake of a marriage to be had between the
young prince of England and my lady Mary,
daughter to the French king. And so they
departed, as well they of France as of Eng-
land, and so made report lo both kings.
And then about Lent ihece was a secret
treaty devised to be between the two kings
at Monlreuit-by-the-sea, and so were sent
by the king of England to Calais sir
Guichard d'Angle. Richard Stuiy, Geoffrey
Chaucer, and from the French king was
sent the lord of Coney and of Riviere, sir
Nicholas Braque and Nicholas Mercier.
And they a long season treated on the said
marriage, and the Frenchmen offered, as I
was informed, divers things, and tbey
would have again other things such as
they named, or else nothing. Then these
entreators went and made report to their
lords, and so the truce was again relonged
to the first day of May. A: '
J
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
again to Calais the earl nf Salisbury, the
bishop of Saint David's, chancellor of Eng-
land, and the bishop of Ilerefbrd : and for
the French king at Monlreujl there was the
lord of Coucy, sir Willani of Dormans,
chancellor of France. But they durst
never trust to meet ti^ether in any place
between Monlreuil and Calais, nor be-
tween Montreuil and Boulogne, nor in the
frontiers, for anyttiing that the two hi&hops
Atnbassadorscouiddoorshew. Thus these
entreators abode in this estate, till the truce
And when the war whs open, (hen air
Hi^h Calverley was sent to be keeper of
had between France and England, he was
right sorrowful and ordered his business
shortly and went to Rome. And when the
duke of Bretayne, who had been more than
a year with the earl of Flanders his cousin,
saw that the war was open, he took leave
of the earl and went to Gravelines, and
thither he came to the carl of Salisbury and
sir Guichard d'Angle, and so went with
them to Calais and there tarried the space
of a month, and so went into England and
came to Sheen, a four leagues from London
along by the Thames side, where the king
of England lay sore sick and passed out of
this world the vigil of Saint John Baptist
the year of our Lord a thousand three
hundred and seventy-seven.
Then was there great sorrow made in
England, and incontinent all the passages
of the realm were stopped, that none should
issue out of the realm ; for they would not
that the death of the king should be so
soon known in France, till they had set the
lealm in some order. The same time there
came into England the earl of Salisbury
and sir Guichard d'Angle. So the body
of king Edward the third with great pro-
cessions, weepings and lamentations, his
sons behind him with all the nobles and
prelates of England, wsis brought along the
dty of London with open visage to West-
minster, and there he was buried beside the
ipieen his wife. And anon after, the young
king Kicliard was crowned at Ihe palace of
Westminster wi[h great solemnity, and by
him stood the dukes of Lancaster and of
Bretayne, the eleventh year of his age, in
the month of July : the which day there
ras made four earls and nine knights ; first
the lord Thomas his uncle was made earl
of Buckingham, the lord Percy earl of
Northumberland, sir Guichard d'Angle
earl of Huntingdon, the lord Mowbray
earl of Nottingham : and the young king
was put unto the rule of the gentle kni^t
sir Guichard d'Angle by the accord of all
the land, to be instructed in noble virlaes,
and the realm of England to be governed
by the duke of Lancaster. And as soon
as the French king knew of the death of
king Edward, he said how right nobly and
valiantly he had reigned, and well he oi^ht
to be put newly in remembrance among
the number of the worthies. Then lie
assembled a great number of the nolilcs
and prelates of his realm and did his ob-
scquy in the Holy Chapel in his palace bI
Paris. And anon after died the eldest i
daughter of the French king, who was en-
sured to have been married to William of J
Hainault, eldest son of duke AuberL |
CHAPTERS CCCXV-CCCXVir
SUMMARY. — The French kins taf '
/treat navy to sea and ravaged Ike £«uW ^
Ellwand.
The capiat de Bach, after being a frvaar _
in Frame for Jive years, died in the Temfl
at Paris.
The duke of Burgundy took Ardrts a
other fortresses near Calais.
ivar was renewed between the Fnt^i
king and Ike ting of Navarre, and A
ting of Navarre lost ihe county of Evraa,
exeefl Cherbourg, which was fruitlessly fc-
sieged by the French.
The French gained Auray and elif
towns in Brittany, and laid a garriif*
againtl Cherbourg under sir IVillia'a d"
Bordes, who was defeated and made prisaut
by the English on Saint Martin's day i*
July 1379.'
lere end« Ibi firal book of tin C
with tt
:Df ttael
have been shortly mentionix] hefoie ihii an rcliM
was oHgin^illv a »panlle work, and that allDH
of tlic fir^t hook which was dcdiculEd ta RoM
rwards when putlinE tOHttber the lirS 1
ndbooka. Tbs copyBU, howmier, usuUtsii
d (he second radaclion of the iint beoa v^
CHAPTERS cccxvin-cccxxv
SUMMARY.— Tlu duke gf Anjm and
the constable of France made a great
assembly and laid siegt to Bergh-ac. A
hody of English were surprised and defeated
at Eyniet: sir Thomas Fellaa, seneschat of
Bordeaux, and several Gascon lords «iere
laktn prisoners. Berghac was surrendered
to Ike French, and the duke of Anjou took
ether lovms and castles in Gascony.
The Scats iy stealth loot the castle of
Berwick, mAich was won again by the earl
of Northumberla-d, who then invaded
SiBlland. Sir Thomas Musgrave was de-
fatted fiy the Scots in the field of Saint Giles
mid the English retired from Scotland.
The author thus continues :—
Now let UE leave to speak of ScoUund for
itiis present time and let us speak of othei
iiL:i(lents that fell in France.
Tliesame time, b the monlh of February,
;!ir; French queen died, and, as the physi-
imiii said, through her own fault. For she
liy in childbed of a lair lady named
Kalherine, who was after duchess of Berry:
the queen being in childbed was not well at
ease, and bet physicians had defended her
in any wise that ie should not enter into
1o bain ; for they said it was contrary lo her
■Jiseasc and light oertlous for her. All thai
tiolwithslandingistie woald needs he bained,
and so ^e was, and so fell sicker and died :
and so king Charles of France was a
^lidower, for he never married after.
CHAPTER CCCXXVt
Iji^nning of the schism of holy Church,
-\rrER the death of the French queen died
iKi> the cjueeo of Navarre, sister-german
. .-.-ii.ic.ii .jpt, and Ihatwhal has been laLd In Ihc
. .jb<)ut abndginenL BDd omisuon in th«
- '.-.rillvuptieteircffpcIotluFof thofirsi
. also Ihe nrimiwB af the dilTErcnt
r' ±r ifuHv important than in (he othtr
L .1 large part of the tnt boaV was
lo the French Icing, and after the death of
this queen of Navarre great murmuring
rose between the sage men and customiers
of the county of Evreux, which is in
Normandy, the which by right succession
of their mother should fall lo the king of
Navarre's children, who were as then with-
in age and under the rule and keeping of
iheir uncle king Charles of France. And
king Charles of Navarre was had in such
suspect befoietime, in that he had made
and consented and raised so many evils and
inconveniences in the realm of France, that
be was not worthy to hold any heritage in
the realm of France under the shadow of
his children. The same season there came
out of Acquilaine the constable of France,
who had been all thai season with the duke
of Anjou, and brought with htm in his
company the lord Mussidan of Gascoyne
to see the king and to be acquainted with
him, and so he did. Between the king
and the constable there was many secret
counsels of the state of the realm of
France and of Navarre, which was not
suddenly known. We shall shortly speak
of that matter : but justly to chronicle all
matters that fell in the same season in
the world, I shall shew you of the be-
ginning of the pestilence and inconvenience
that began in the Church of God, whereby
all Christendom was in great trouble and
variance, and thereby many great mischief
grew and followed.
Ye have heard herebefore bow pope
Gr^ory, the eleventh of that name, was in
the city of Avignon. And wlien he saw
that he could find no manner of peace to
be had between the kings of England and
France, wherewith he was in great dis-
pleasure, for he had greatly travailed there-
about and had made his cardinals to do the
same, then he advised himself and had a
devotion to go and revisit Kome and the
see apostolic, the which Saint Peter and
Saint Paul hod edifled. He had made
before promise that, if ever he came to the
degree to be pope, he would never keep
his see hut therens Saint Peter kept his and
ordained it. This pope was a man of
feeble complexion and sickly, and endured
much pain more than any other. And be
thus being in Avignon was so sore let with
the businesses of France and so sore tta-
vailed with the king and his brethren, that
THE CWROmCLES OF PROfSSAlfT
iich pain he had aiiy leisure [o
nything to himself oc In his Church,
e said lo himself he would go fanhet
I them lo be more al rest ; and i '
provision to be made on the riv
and all the ways as he should pass,
Pertained to such aa high estate as he
md then he said to bis cardinals :
nnke you ready, for I wilt to Rome.
t molion his cardinals were son
1 and displeased, for they loved noi
mans, and so they would fain have
his purpose, but they could not
len the Freoch king loiew thereof,
sore displeased, for he thought he
: pope nearer at hand there thr" '~
lei place. Then the king v
lent to his brolher the duke of
who was at Toulouse, signiiyir^
3.t after the sight of his letters he
go lo Avignon to the pope and
is voyage to Rome, if it were possible.
ke did as the king commanded him,
< came to Avignon, where the
Is received him with great joy, and
lodged in Ihe pope's palace, Ihe
ereby to speak with the pope. Ye
:tl know he spake with (he pope
swed him divers reasons to have
his purpose : but the pope would
.se consent thereto nor lake any heeil
liusinesaes on this side the moun-
but Ihe pope gave the duke full
^e to do what he might, reserving
cases papal, the which be might not
no man, nor put them out of his
nds. When the duke sa.w he could
D his ii
t forn
ids that he could shew, he took
~ the pope and said at his departing :
£ither, ye go into a. good country
such people whereas ye be but little
, and ye will leave the fountain of
id the realm whereas holy Church
usi faith and excellence of all the
And, sir, by your deed the Church
I in great tribulation ; for if ye die
he Miich is right likely, and so say
'sicians, then the Romans, who be
xi and traitors, shall be lords and
of all the cardinals and shnlt make
at their own will." Howbeit, for
5 words and many other, the pope
!Sled till he was on his vroy, and so
1 That u, Ihe Riviem of Genoa.
came to Marseille, whereas the g
Genes were ready to r
duke returned again to TouloiBC
Gregory entered into the sea U Hi ^J*.
with a great company, and hid epei a^ ,
and so took land at Genes, and A-S^™"
relreshed his Rolleya and so Vttti
again and sailed till he came I
The Romans were right joyfill
coming, and all the chief of Rome ~
on their horses and so brou^it
Rome with great triumph, and loig
Saint Peter's palace. And olteaiiai
visited a church called our Ijidj
Great' widiia Rome, wherein fac
great pleasure and did make theroa
aalXy works. And within a whSc
his coming lo Rome he died, aw
buried in the said church, and
his obsequy was mode, as lo ■
appertained.
Anon after the death of the
the cardinals drew them into
in the palace of Saint Petei. Anrat
as they were entered lo chooK
according to Ihelr usage, such one H]
be good and profitnble for holy "
the Romans assembled them loeel
great number and came into the be
Saint Peter,' They were to the nl .
thirty thousand, what one and other, I
inlcnt to do evil, if Ihe mar
according to their appetites.
came ofienlimes before the conclate
said ; ' Hark ye, sir cardinals,
at once and make a pope: ye tanj
long. If ye make a Roman, we wiS
change him ; but if ye make anyot(n*|
Roman people and counsels wUl not
him for pope, and ye put yourselres I
adventure to be slain. ' The
were as then in the danger of
and heard well those words, they '
their ease nor assured of theii lii .
appeased them of their ire a) weD W
might with feir words ; but
the felony of Ihe Romans, that suchM
next to Ihe conclave, lo ihe intenf '" ~
the cardinals a&aid and to cause
condescend the rather to their
brake Up the door of the conclave
the cardinals were. Then the
S — . Z
f?MLECTION OF UHBAN VI., 1378
£0 hnve been slain and so
e their lives, some one way
fDIher : but tbe Romans were
3ok Ihem and put ihem
1, whether they would or not.
JB then, seeing themselves in the
% Komans and in great peril of
mic people than for any dcvo-
t, t^good election they chose
a cardinal of the Koman
pope Urban the fifth had
, and he was called befure
i Saint Peter.' This election
1y the Romans, and so Ibis
all the rights that belonged
y ; howbeit, he lired not
Ws after, and I shall shew
Se Romans, who desired to
of Iheir own nation, were so
new pope, that they took
Ig hnn and shewing how they
fA the cardinals, seeing they
Roman according to their
[isomuch that the good holy
•ore travailed that he fell
lied the third day, and was
Cburch of Saint Peter, and
IPTER CCCXXVII
1 pope the cardinals
L for Ihey saw well
A not go well to pass.
V, if thai pope had
ed among iheRoi
aaad al the last to havt
some olhei
Then the cardmals went again into the
conclave in greater danger than Ihey were
in before, for the Romans assembled them
together again before the conclave and
made serablant to break it up and to slay
them alt, if they did not choose a pupe
according to their minds, and cried to the
cardinals and said : ' Sirs, advise you well.
If ye deliver us a pope Koman, we be con-
tent ; or else we will make your heads
redder than your hats be.' Sucb words
and menaces abashed greatly (he cardinals,
for they had ralber a died confessors
than martyrs. Then to bring themselves
out of that danger and peril, they made a
pope ; but he was none of the coU^e of
cardinals, he was archbishop of Ban, a
great clerk who greatly had uavailed for
the wealth of holy Church. With his pro-
motion of papality the Romans were ap-
peased, for the cardinal of Genes put out his
heai] out at a window of the conclave and
said on high to the people of Rome; 'Sirs,
appease you. for you have a pope Roman,
and that is Bartholomew des Aigles, arch-
bishop of Ban. ' The people answered all
with one voice: 'Then we be content.'
The same archbishop was not as then at
Rome ; I think he was in Naples. Then
he was incontinent sent for, of the which
tidings he was right glad, and so came to
Rome, and at his coming there was great
feast made to him, and so he had all the
lights that pertained to the papolily and
was called Urban, the sixth of that name.
The Romans had great joy; his creation
was signified to al! the churches of Chris*
lenty and also to emperors, kings, dukes
and earls, and the cardinals sent word to
all thdr friends that he was dioscn by
good and true election : howbeit, some of
them repented them after, that they had
spoken so largely in the malter. This
pope renounced all graces given before,
and so divers dcpaned from iheir coim-
tries and places and went to Rome 10 have
grace.
Now le! Ds leave somewhat to speak
principal history of the businesses of
Ve have heard right well herehefoie how
the king of Kavarre, who had to his wife
the French king's sister, for the love of Ihe
one and of the other it was said and pur-
2IO
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
posed ' that the heritage of the children of
the king of Navarre, the which was fallen
to them by the right of their mother, that
the French king their uncle by the succes-
sion of his sister ought to have power thereof
in name of the children, seeing the children
were in his keeping ; whereby all the land
that the king of Navarre held in Normandy
should be in the French king's hand, as
long as his nephews were within age. Of
all these matters the king of Navarre
doubted greatly, for he knew well the usage
and custom of France. Then he advised
him of two things : the one was to send the
bishop of Pampelone and sir Martin Carra
into France to the king, desiring him
heartily that for good love and favour to
send him his two sons Charles and Peter,
and if it pleased him not to send him both
two, then at least to send him his son
Charles, because he was towards a treaty for
a marriage for him with the daughter of the
king of Castile. The second thing was,
notwithstanding that he sent thus into
France, yet secretly he sent also into Nor-
mandy, to visit and to refresh the castles
there pertaining to him, to the intent that
the Frenchmen should not take them into
their hands : for he feared, if they had
them once in their possessions, he should
not have them again when he would. And
so he sent two valiant men of arms Navar-
rois, in whom he had great trust, the one
called Peter Basele and the other Ferrando,
into Normandy for the said intent. The
first messengers went into France, as the
bishop of Pampelone and sir Martin Carra,
who spake with the king at great leisure,
right humbly recommending the king of
Navarre to him, desiring in his name that
he would send to him his two sons. The
king answered and said, he would take
advice and counsel in the matter : and so
after they were answered in the king's
name, the king being present and the two
children also his nephews, how that the
1 The true text runs thus : ' Ye have heard
right well before how the king of Navarre was left
a widower, who had had to wife the sister of the
kinfj of France, and how the wise men of the
realm of France, taking advice one with another,
said and proposed,' etc. The translator gives us a
j)retty literal rendering of his text, which was hope-
less. The words ' was left a widower ' and * realm
of France ' were there omitted, and ' par I'avis Tun
de I'autre * was corrupted into * par Tamour I'un de
'•iiutrc.'
king loved them right entirely, wherefore
they could not be better in no place, and
that the king of Navarre ought to be con-
tent rather to suffer them to be in France
with the king their uncle than in any other
place ; and also the king will in no wise
depart from them, but keep them about
him in their estate as the children of a
king and like his nephews. Other answer
the messengers could not have. And in
the mean season that these messengers were
in France, Peter of Basele and Ferrando
arrived at Cherbourg with great provision,
the which they put in divers places, in
towns and castles of the king of Navarre's
in Normandy, and so they visited in the
king of Navarre's name all the county of
Evreux, and made new officers and set in
people at their pleasures. And so returned
again into Navarre the bishop of Pampelone
and sir Martin Carra and shewed the king
how they had sped in France. The king
of Navarre was not very glad of that
tidings, when he could not have his own
sons, and so began a great hatred in his
heart toward the French king, the whidi
he would gladly have shewed, if he had.
might, but the puissance of himself was not
so great to grieve the realm of France with-
out help and aid of some other realm : so
he suffered all these matters, till he had
better cause to speak and more displeasure
done to him than he had as then.
The French king and his council were
well informed that the king of Navarre had
new re victualled his castles and towns in
Normandy, but they knew not for what
intent. The same season the Englishmen
made a secret army on the sea of two
thousand men of arms, but they had no
horse with them, of the which army the
duke of Lancaster and the earl of Cam-
bridge were chief captains. This the Nor-
mans reported surely to the French kii^ ;
and this army came on the coasts of Nor-
mandy, but they could not tell to what
part they would draw unto. Some itt
France thought that the king of Navarrt
had caused them to come into Normandy,
to deliver to them such castles as he had
there : wherefore it was said to the king :
* Sir, go hastily and be lord of those castles
before, for ye may hap to tarry too loi^ i
for if the Englishmen have them, they may
do much hurt to the realm of France, for
it shall be one of the best entriEs that they
can have, if they were lords in Normandy,
of the cities, towns and castles belonging
to the king of Navane.' The same season
there was taken in France two secretaries
of the king of Navane, a clerk and a
squire ; the clerk wns called Peter of Terlie
■.nd the squire James of Rue, and they were
brought to Paris to be examined; and, so
much it was known by tbem of the secrets
of the realm of Navarre, how Ihey were
determined to have done damage to the
king, oi else to have poisoned him : so
they were condemned to die, and execution
was done at Paris, beheaded and quartered.
These tidings multiplied so on the king of
Navarre, that the French king sware that
he would never attend to none other thing,
till he had rid Nismandy, and taken Into
tiis possession for the behoof of his nephews
all the towns and castles that the long of
Navarre held there. So daily there came
me informations to the French king
ngainst the king of Navarre : also it was
lud openly that the duke of Lancaster
ihould give his daughter Katheiine to the
Wt^ of Navarre, and so by that means the
iiag should give to the duke of Lancaster
an the whole county of Evteux. These
I Vords were lightly believed in France, for
Ihe king of Navarre was but little trusted
ilnong Iheni, So then the same time the
I^reni^ king came to Rouen, and there
assembled a grenl army of men of war,
ifhereof the lord Coney and the lord de la
Riviere were chief captains, and they all
n>et together before a town called Evreux,
a city in Normandy pertaining to the king
of Navarre. And these two lords had the
two sons of the king of Navarre, Charles
and Feter, to shew to them of the country
<hit the war that they made was in the
name of Lhc two children for their heritage,
Ciial was fallen to them by the right of their
niotber, and how thai the king of Navarre
had no right to keep them. But the most
Pari of the men of arms were so joined in
love with the king of Navarre, that they
Could not depart ont of his service, ancl
•»lso Ihe NavaiTois that were there as-
^mbled, such as the king of Nav:irre had
Sen! thither, caused his war to be the more
hosier and fait.
CHAPS, cccxxviii-cccxxxvn
SUMMARY. — The French king stkid
the county of Montpellier, vihirk belonged
to the king of A'avarri, and the lords de
Cmtcy and de la Hiviire laid siege to
The king of Navarre sent for help to
England and then went thilker himself to
make an alliance. It was agreed that the
English should sit garrisons in the king ^
Naoarris tovms and easllts in Normandy
and send a force to help him against the
king of Castile. The h-ench 1^ Cartn-
tan, Moiilineaux, Conches and Pacy, so
that Ihe king of Navarre held nothing in
Nomsand^ but Evreux and Cherbourg.
Meanwhile the English with the duke of
Lancaster laid sie^ to Saint-Mah.
Evan of Wales was killed by his own
squire before Morlagne,
£vreux surrendered to the French.
The English sent a lari^ fleet to Bor-
deaux to help the king of Navarre, and the
siege of Morlagiie -was raised. The Eng-
lish recovered some castles about Bordeaux.
The English failed ia their assaults on
Saint-Malo and so returned to England:
at Cherbourg sir Oliver du Guesclin was
made prisoner.
CHAPTERS CCCXXXV1II-<:CCXLII
SUMMARY. — The 6i g of Aavarre
asked for help from the Ettgi h at Ber
deaux, who entered Navarre omfeli ng
the Spaniards to raise the siege of Pan
plana, and invaded Cast le Peace was
made between Ihe kings of Navari e and of
Castile. King Henry died and !vai suc-
ceeded by John his sort.
CHAPTER CCCXLIII
How the French king's messenger was let of
his viage into Scotland, and of the debate
that began between the French king and
Ihe earl of Flanders.
In the same season returned into England
sit Thomas Trivet and sir William Helman,
with divers other Itnighls and squires, such
as hsd be^n in Spain to aid tlie king of
Navarre's war : and so Ihey came to the
king ol England, who as then was al
Chcrtsey with his two uncles the duke of
Lancaster and the earl of Cambridge with
him ! and these knights were joyfully re-
ceived of the king and these lords, ajid
there they were deared to shew some tid-
ings from those parts. And so they shewed
all that they knew both of Spain and of
Navarre and of the peace made between
the two kings of Spain and Navarre, and
how the king of Navarre had married
Charles his eldest son to king Henry's
daughter, and so from point lo point as the
treaty was between them. The duke of
Lancaster and the eart of Cambridge were
right pensive of these words, for Ihey
thought and named themselves to be heirs
of Spain by right of their wives. Then
Ihey demanded bow long it was sith kiog
Henry the bastard died, and whether the
Spaniards had crowned John his son or no.
llie knights answered and said : ' Sirs, at
the death of king Henry nor at the corona-
tion of John his son we were not present,
for by that time we were come back into
Navarre. But, sit, here is an herald was
there present : ye may know everything by
Then the herald was called forth and de-
manded by the duke of Lancaster bow the
matter was. He answered and said : ' Sir,
at your request I shall shew you. In the
mean season, while these noblemen were at
Pampelone, abiding the accomplishment of
the treaty, the winch was made by their
good wills and leaves, I tarried behind still
with the king of Navarre, whereas I had
good cheer both of him and of iiis men :
and so I went with him from Pampelone
to Saint Dominic's, against whose coming
king Henry issued out of the town with a
goodly company and met us with great sign
of love and peace. And there the king of
Navarre was greatly honoured by him and
all his, and gave him the same night an
honest supper. And after supper tidings
was brought to them how that a great wild
boar was lodged in the launds (hereby, and
so it was ordained that the next morning
they should go and hunt the same boar :
and so they did, at which hunting there was
both kings and n great company, and the
boar taken, and against night they returned
again with great love to Ssunt Doi
And the next day king Henry depa
went 10 Belorade for a day tut I
there against his men, nnd there I
sick and so died. And the king of N
was coining toward him to see him
and by the way he heard wordof hiii
whereof he was right sorry, and soM
again ; and then I took leave of to!
went into Castile to know some I
there. This king Henry died on W
day, and anon after, the twenly-lifill'
July, the day of Saint James and
Christopher, John of Coslile his eldt
was crowned king in the cathedral (
in the city of Burgos, st the which □
tion were all the barons and prdi
Spain, of Galice, of Cordowan ■
Seville, and all they swarc there <
holy Evangelists to lake and maintd
for their king, and there was mat
same day two hundred and ten nevll
and many a great gift given. Tie
morning with a great company of ~
men he went to an abbey of ladies «
Burgos called Horghes.' and therein
mass and dined. And after dinnct
was great jousting, and the nscoi
Roquebertin of Aragun had theprin
then he returned again to Burgos : at
feast endured fifteen days.*
Then the duke of Lancaster oiqa
the king of Portugal was derared ton
or not. 'Sir,' quoth the herald, 'I
desired ; but for all thai he wii nM
nor would not come thither. And,
was said, he answered the meiteng
came to him, how he would not go
coronation of the son of a bastard.'
my faith,' quoth the duke of LancaiU
was right well counselled to say theses
I can him great thank theiefor. I
the matter shall not long aUde in ttnT
for my brother and I will demad
heritage, whereof he calleth hinudf t
now.' And so they left talkingand
for drink.
Now let us leave to speak of iMsl
and return lo the business of France-
King Charles of France, who H
reigned, was right sage and subtle, •■
was well shewed as, lon^ as he lived.
though that he kept himself pdlT
chamber taking his pleasure and spa
1 Hueigui.
PETER DE BOVRNAZEL AT SLUYS
ai3
he conquered again that his predecessors had
lost in the field armed with their swords m
their hands ; wherefore he was greatly to be
commended. And because he knew well
ihat king Robert of Scotland and all the
realm there hod made war and had mortal
hate to the Englishmen, for those two
realms could never love tt^ether, therefore
lo the intent to nourish more love between
France and Scotland, the French king
lliought to send a knight and a secretary of
his council lo king Robert of Scotland and
lo the Scots, lo speak with them and lo
advise the country and to know if he might
make any good war lo England by Scot-
land. For Evan of Wales in his lifetime
had informed him that Scothind was the
place in the world whereby England might
be most annoyed. And of Ibis purpose the
French kii^ had mitny imaginations, so
that at last he ordained a knighl, a sage
man called sir Peter lard of Boumazel, and
said lo him : ' Sur, ye shall go and do this
message into Scotland and recommend me
to the king there and to his barons, and
shew him how that we and our realm are
teady lo do them pleasure and to have a
treaty with them as our friends, so that
thereby in the season to come we may send
people thither, whereby we may have entry
1 that w
1 like n
(lur predecessors have had in time past ;
and in your going thither and coming home-
ward I will ye keep such estate as a mes-
senger and cnmmissary of a king should
do, on our cost and charge.' 'Sir,' quoth
thekn^ht, 'all shall be as it pleaseth you.'
And so he tarried not long after, but
when he was ready, departed from Paris
and did so much by his journeys that he
came to Sluys in Flanders, and there tar-
ried and abode for wind and passage a
fifteen days, for the wind was contrary for
him. And in the mean season he held a
great estate, and nell stufled with vessel of
gold and silver throughout his hall as
mrgely as though he had been a liltle duke
DT better. His minstrels played before his
service daily, and bare a sword' garnished
with gold and silver, and his men paid wel!
for everything. Of the great estate that
this knighl kept in his house and in the
slreets divers of the iavnx had great marvel.
The baily of the town beheld it well, who
was officer there under the earl of Flanders,
and could keep it no longer secret, wherein
he did evil ; for he sent word thereof (o
Ihe earl, who lay at Bruges, and the duke
of Bretayne his cousin with him. And
when the earl of Flanders had studied a
little on the matter and by the help of the
duke of Bretayne, ordained that the knight
should be brought to him. The baily re-
turned again to Sluys and came uneour-
leously to the French knight, for he set his
hand on him and rested him in the earl of
Flanders' name, whereof the knight had
great marvel and said to the baily ; ' What
menneth this ? I am a messenger and com-
missary of the French king.' 'Sir,' quoth
the baily, ' I believe well. Howbeit ye
must needs go and speak wilh the earl of
Flanders, for he hath commanded me lo
bring you to him.' So the knight could
make no scuse, but that he and his com-
pany were brought lo Bruges lo the earl.
And when he was in the earl's chamber,
the earl and the duke stood together lean-
ing out of a window into the garden-ward.
Then the knight kneeled down and said :
' Sir, behold here is your prisoner ' ; of the
which word the earl was sore displeased,
and said in despite and ire : ' What sayest
thou, ribbald ? that Ihou art my prisoner,
because I have sent to speak wilh thee?
Thy master's servants may right well come
and speak wilh me : but thou hast not well
acquitted thyself, sith Ihou hast been so
long at Sluys and knowing me here so
near lo Ihee, and yet not come once to see
or to speak with me. Thou haddest dis-
dain so to do.' 'Sir,' quoth Ihe knight,
'saving your displeasure ' — then the duke
of Bretayne took the words and said :
' Among you bourders and janglers in the
palace of Paris and in Ihe king's chamber
ye set by the realm as ye list and play wilh
Ihe king at your pleasure, and do well or
evil as ye will yourselves : for there is no
Erince of the blood royal, if ye among you
ave once brought bim into any hale or
displeasure with the king, that can be heard
after. But once I trust there will be so
many of such people taken, that the gibbets
will be full of them.'
The knight, who sat still on his knees,
was right sore at>ashed of those words, for
the bearing of such words was right hard
to him. Howbeit, he saw well
214
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
better for him to keep his tongue than to
speak, and so gave no answer to those
words : and when he saw his time, he
took his leave of the earl and of the lords
and departed out of their presence, and
some noblemen that were about the earl
made him way and made him to drink, and
then he returned again to Sluys to his
lodging. And I shall shew you what fell
after. Though all his purveyance were
ready apparelled and that he had wind at
will to have sailed into Scotland, yet he
durst not put himself into the dangers of
the sea : for it was shewed him how he was
spied by the Englishmen that he lay at
Sluys, and how that if he kept on his
voyage he was likely to be taken and
carried into England ; and because of those
doubts he brake his viage and returned to
Paris to the king.
Ye may well know that the lord of
Bournazel told no less to the French king
than was done to him by the earl of
Flanders, and also it was needful for him
to tell all for his excuse, for the king had
marvel of his returning. The same season
there were divers knights in the king's
chamber, and specially sir John of Ghis-
telles of Hainault, cousin to the earl of
Flanders, who had great displeasure at the
words of this knight that he had of the earl
of Flanders, so that finally he could keep
his tongue no longer, but said : * I cannot
suffer these words thus to be spoken of my
dear lord ; and, sir knight, if ye will say
that he did as ye say, to let you of your
viage, in that quarrel I appeal you to the
field and here is my gage. ' The lord of
Bournazel was nothing abashed to answer,
but said : * Sir John, I say thus, how I was
thus taken by the baily of Sluys and
brought before the earl of Flanders, and as
ye have heard, he said to me, and in like
wise so did the duke of Bretayne ; and if ye
will say contrary to this, I will receive your
gage.' * I will say so,' quoth the lord of
Ghistelles. With those words the king
was not content, and said, * Let us go
hence : I will hear no more of these words ' :
and so departed and went into his chamber,
all only with his chamberlains, right glad
that the lord of Bournazel had so well and
freely spoken against the words of sir John
of Ghistelles, and said all smiling : * He
hath holden foot well with him : I would
not for twenty thousand franks but that he
had done so.' And after it fortuned so
that this sir John of Ghistelles, who was
chamberlain with the king, was so evil be-
loved in the court, that he was weary there-
of and thought not to abide the dangers.
So he took leave of the king and departed
from the court and went into Brabant, to
the duke Wenceslas of Brabant, who re-
ceived him joyfiilly. The French king was
sore displeased with the earl of Flanders,
because it was thought by divers of the
realm that he had letted the lord of Bour-
nazel of his viage into Scotland, and also
in that he held still about him the duke of
Bretayne his cousin, who was greatly in the
king's displeasure. And so they that were
about the king perceived well how the earl
of Flanders was nothing in the king's grace.
Anon after, the king wrote sharp letters
to his cousin the earl of Flanders, threaten-
ing him, because he sustained with him the
duke of Bretayne, whom he reputed to be
his enemy. The earl wrote again to the
king excusing himself as well as he might,
but it availed nothing ; for the king sent
him again more sharper letters, shewing him
plainly that, without he would put the duke
of Bretayne out of his company, he would
surely displease him. When the earl of
Flanders saw that the king pursued his
cause with such effect, then he took advice
in himself and thought he would shew
these menaces and threatenings to his good
towns, and specially to Gaunt, to know,
what they would say to the matter. And
so he sent to Bruges, to Ypres and Court-
ray, and after departed, and the duke of
Bretayne in his company, and so went to
Gaunt and lodged at the Postern,^ where
he was joyfully received of the bui^esses,
for they loved well to have him anwMig
them.
And when the people of the good towns,
such as were sent for, were come, the earl
assembled them together in a place, and
there he made be shewed to them by John
de la Faucille his intention, and the letters
read that the French king had sent him two
months before. And when these letters
were read, then the earl spake and said:
* All ye sirs of my good towns of Flanders,
through the help of God I have been your
^ ' La Poteme ' the name of a house belonging to
the earl of Flanders at Ghent.
loriiL a long season and I have kept and
guvemed you in good peace to my p(
nor ye have not seen in me the contrary
but that I have entertained you in gisat
prosperity, in like manner as a lord ouglil
lo keep his men uid aubjecls. But it is
my great displeasure, and it ought to lie
you that arc my men, that Ihe French king
Ihus hateth me and will lia.te, because 1
sustain about me and in my company the
iluke of Brelayne my cousin-german, who
as now is not well beloved in France, nor
he dare nut well trust his men in his own
i:nun[ry because of five or six baions that
loveth him not. Wherefore the king would
Ihat I should drive him out of my country,
Ihe which should be a strange thing to him.
I say not nay, but if I did comforl my
cousin either witb towns or castles gainst
Ihe realm of France, then the king might
have good cause to complain him of me :
Iwt I do not so, nor am not in will so to
do, and therefore I have here assembled
yuu together, shewing you the perils that
may hap to fall. Therefore I would know
your minds, whether he shall abide stilt
with me or not.' They answered all with
one voice : * Sir, let him abide sill! : why
should he not ? And, sir, if there be any
man living that will make yon war, ye
shall find ready in your land of Flanders
two hundred thousand men of war to serve
you.' Those words giealiy rqoiced the
earl, and Ba.id : ' Sirs, I thank you.'
And so ended that parliament, and the
earl was well content with his men and
gave every man leave to depart in peace.
Then when the earl saw his time, he re-
turned to Bruges, and the duke of Bretayne
with bim. Thas these matters hanged in
a Irance: the earl was in great grace with
his people and the country in peace and
rmsperity ; the which abode not so long
afler, for it was In great tribulation, as ye
shall hear after in this history.
CHAPTER CCCXLIV
How the duke of Btetayne departed out of
married in England, and of the wars that
Ve may well know how the French king
hail knowledge of all this matter and how
the earl had answered. He loved him not
one whit the better : howbeit, he must let
it pass, for more he could not have as at
that time, and said how the earl of Flanders
was the most proudest prince that he knew :
and a man might have seen well by the
manner of the Icing that the earl was the
lord that the king would most gladly have
hroueht somewhat to reason, when he saw
that be wilhsaid him and that he was no
more displeased than he was. The earl of
Flanders for all Ihe king's writing and that
lie was in his great displeasure because of
keqiing about him the duke of Bretayne,
yet, that notwithstanding, he kept him alill
as long as it pleased him to tarry and made
him keep a goodly estate. Finally the duke
of Brelayne hod counsel to draw into Eng-
land, and so he took leave of the earl his
cousin and went to Gravelines, and thither
came to him the earl uf Salisbury with live
hundred spears and a thousand archers, for
doubt of the French garrisons, and so
brought bim to Calais, whereof sir Hugh
Calverley was captain, who received him
right joyously ; and when the duke had
tarried there a five days, he had wind nt
will and so tonk the sea and the eail of
Salisbury in his cnmpany, and so arrived at
""'""irand came to the young king Richard,
received him with great joy, and so
did also the duke of Ijincaster and the
earls of Cambridge and of Buckingham
and the great lords of England.
Ve have heard before how sir Valeran of
Luxembourg, young earl of Saint-Pol, was
taken prisoner between Ardres and Calais
and was in England at the king's pleasure :
for king Edward in his lifetime bought
him of the lord of Comminges, for he uas
iirsC his prisoner, because he made the
journey, when he was taken of a squire, a
man of arms of the country of Gueldres : so
this young earl of Saint-Fol abode long
Prisoner in England, or he was delivered,
t was of truth the king offered him ofl-
imes in exchange for the caplal of Buch,
'bile he lived ; but the French king nor
the council of France would in no wise
hear thereof, whereof the king of England
had great disdain. Thus the matter con-
tinued a InnH space, and the young carl
still prisoner in England in the fair castle of
Windsor, and he had so courteous a keewr
that he might go and sport him a-hawkina
2l6
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
between Windsor and Westminter : he was
believed on his faith. The same season
the princess, mother to king Richard, lay at
Windsor, and her daughter with her, my
lady Maude, the fairest lady in all Eng-
land. The earl of Saint-Pol and this young
lady were in true amours together each of
other, and sometime they met together at
dancing and carolling, till at last it was
spied ; and then the lady discovered to her
mother how she loved faithfully the young
earl of Saint - Pol. Then there was a
marriage spoken of between the earl of
Saint-Pol and the lady Maude of Holland,
and so the earl was set to his ransom to
pay sixscore thousand franks, so that when
he had married the lady Maude then to be
rebated threescore thousand, and the other
threescore thousand to pay. And when
this covenant of marriage was made be-
tween the earl and the lady, the king of
England suffered the earl to repass the sea
to fetch his ransom, on his only promise to
letum again within a year after. So the
earl came into France to see his friends,
the king, the earl of Flanders, the duke of
Brabant and his cousins in France.
In the same year there was made an hard
information against the earl of Saint- Pol ;
for it was laid to his charge that he should
deliver to the Englishmen the strong castle
of Bohain, and so the French king caused
him to be rested and kept in surety. And
so the king shewed how the earl of Saint-
Pol would have made an evil treaty for him
and for the realm, and the earl in no wise
could be excused. And also for the same
cause theie was kept in prison in the castle
of Mons in Hainault the lord canon of
Robersart,^ the lord of Vertaing, sir James
du Sart and Gerard d'Obies ; but at length
all that matter came to none effect, for
there could nothing be proved against
them, and so they were delivered. Then
the young eail returned again into Eng-
land to acquit him of his promise, and so
wedded the lady and did so much that he
paid his threescore thousand franks, and so
passed again the sea. But he entered not
1 Thierry, called le Chanoine de Robersart. It
is doubtful what is the origin of this by-name, but
he was certainly not an ecclesiastic. One of his
sons (Louis) was made a knight of the Garter by
Henry V., and married Elizabeth Bourchier, be-
longing to the same family as the present translator
of the Chronicles (Lettenhove, xxiii. 28).
into France because the king loved him
not ; and so he and the countess his wife
went and lay at the castle of Ham on the
river of Heure, the which castle the lord of
Moriaum^, who had wedded his sister,
lent him to lie in. And there he lay as
long as king Charles of France lived, for
the earl could never get his love.
Now let us leave to speak of this matter
and return to the business of France.
The same season all Bretayne was kept
close, what against the French king and
against the duke. Howbeit, some of the
good towns of Bretayne held themselves
close in the duke's name, and many had
great marvel that they took him for their
lord. And also divers knights and squires
of Breta)me were of the same accord, and
also there was allied to them the coun(ess
of Penthievre, mother to the children of
Bretajme. But sir Bertram of Guesclin,
constable of France, the lord Clisson, the
lord de Laval, the viscount of Rohan and
the lord of Rochefort, they held the country
in war with the puissance that came daily
to them out of France ; for at Pontorson,
at Saint-Malo-the-Isle ^ and thereabout lay
a great number of men of arms of France,
of Normandy, of Auvergne and of Bur-
goyne, who did much hurt in the country.
The duke of Bretayne, who was in Eng-
land, had knowledge of everything and
how the duke of Anjou was at Angers and
daily destroyed his country. Also he had
knowledge how the good towns kept them-
selves close in his name, and certain knights
and squires pf the same part, whereof he
could them good thank. Yet that not-
withstanding, he" durst not well trust in
them to jeopard to return into Bretape on
the trust of his men, for always he doubted
of treason. Also the king of England nor
the duke of Lancaster would not counsel
him to return.
CHAPTER CCCXLV
SUMMARY,— William des Bordes was
taken prisoner by the garrison of Cherbourg.
Geoffrey Titenoire and Aimerigot Marcel
conquered castles in Auvergne^ Limousin
and other parts.
1 Saint-Malo-dc-risle.
for a
Romi
CHAPTER CCCXLVI
s of
T how, and of the Brelons
It halh been long sith I spake of holy
Church t now I will retntn thereto ; the
matter requireth it. Ye have well heard
berebefore, how by the exhortation of (he
Komans the coxdinala who as then reigned,
to appear the people of Rome, who were
greatly moved against them, made a pope
of the archbishopiic of Bari, called before
Bartholomew des Aigles. He received the
papality and was called Urban the si«th,
and so opened grace, as the usage was.
The intention of divers of the cardinals was,
that when they might see a better hour and
time, tbey would again return to their elec-
tion, because this pope was not prolitable
for thetn, nor also to the Church, as they
said, for he was a iiimisb man and meZan.
cholious, so that when he saw himself in
prosperity and in puissance of the papality,
and that divers kings christened were
joined to htm and wrote to him and did
put them under his obeljiance, whereof he
waxed proud and worked all on head,'
and would have taken from the cardinals
diTcrs of tlieir rights and old customs, the
which greatly displeased them. And so
they spake together and imagined how he
was not well worthy to govern the world ;
wherefore they purposed to choose another
pope, sage and discreet, by whom the
Church should be well governed.
To this purpose the cardinals put to all
their pain, and specially he that was after
chosen to be pope. Thus all a summer they
were in this purpose, for they that intended
to make a new pope durat not show their
minds generally because of the Romans ;
sn that in the lime of the vacation in the
court divers cardinals departed from Rome
and went about Rome ' to sport them in
divers places at their pleasure. And pope
Urban went to another city called Tyeulle,'
and there he lay a long season in this vaca-
licm time, which might not long endure,
t Thai Is, acted in a bcadsIronE inanner.
graces,
of them. Then the cardinals all of one
accord assembled tc^cther, and their voices
rested on sir Robert of Geneva, sometime
son to the earl of Geneva. His first pro-
motion was he was bishop of Terouanne,
and after bishop of Cambray, and he was
called cardinal of Geneva. At this election
e the most part of the cardinals, and he
called Clement.
The !
L then
the
marches of Rome a right valiant knight of
Bretayne called Silvester Bude, and he had
under him a twn thousand Bretons : and
in the year before he had right well borne
himaelf against the Florentines under pope
Gregory, who had cursed them because of
the rebellion, and by the means of this
Silvester Bude they were come to mercy.
Then pope Clement and the cardinals of
his part secretly sent for him and his com-
pany, and so he came and entered into the
castle Angelo, the better to coi^train the
Romans. So pope Urban durst nol depart
from Tyeulle, nor such cardinals as were
of his accord, for doubt of the Bretons,
they were so great a number and all chasen
men of war. And when the Romans saw
themselves in that danger, they sent for
other soldiers, Almalns and Lombards,
and so daily they scrimroishcd with the
Bretons. Clement opened his graces to
all clerks, such as would have it, and so
he signified his name over all the world.
And when the French king who as then
reigned was certified thereof he had great
marvel and sent for his brother and for
all the nobles and prelates of his realm
and for the rector and master doctors of
the university of Paris, to know of them
to which election, other the first or the
second, that he should hold unto. This
matter was not shortly determined, for
divers clerks varied, but finally all the
prelates of France inclined to Clement,
and so did the king's brethren and the
most part of the university of Paris : and so
the king was informed by all the great
clerks of his realm, that he obeyed the
pope Clement and held him for the true
pope, and made a special commandment
throughout his realm that every man should
take and repute Clement for pope and that
2l8
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
every man should obey him as God on
earth. The king of Spain was of the same
opinion, and so was the eari of Savoy, the
duke of Milan and the queen of Naples.
The believing thus of the French king
upon Clement coloured greatly his deeds,^
for the realm of France was reputed to be
the chief fountain of belief of the Christian
faith, because of the noble churches and
prelacies that be therein. As then lived
Charles of Bohemia, king of Almaine and
emperor of Rome, who was at Prague in
Bohemia and was advertised of all these
matters, whereof he had great marvel ;
and though that his empire of Almaine,
except the bishopric of Treves, believed in
faith, courage and intention in pope Urban
and would not hear speaking of any other,
yet he feigned and dissimuled all his life-
time, and would answer when he was
spoken to of that matter so courteously,
that all his barons and prelates of his realm
were content. Howbeit, the churches of
the Empire obeyed pope Urban, but Scot-
land held of Clement. The earl Louis of
Flanders was greatly against Clement
in the parts of Brabant, Hainault and in
Liege, for he would ever abide to be
Urbanist, saying how they did the same
pope great wrong ; and this earl was so
believed and renowned in those parts where
he was conversant, that the churches and
lords held of the same opinion. But they
of Hainault and the churches there, and
the lord, called Albert, abode as neuter and
obeyed no more to one than to the other ;
wherefore the bishop of Cambray that
reigned at that time, called John, lost in
Hainault all the revenues of his temporali-
ties.
And in the same season there was sent
into France, into Hainault, into Flanders
and into Brabant from pope Clement, the
cardinal of Poitiers, a right wise, valiant
and a sage clerk, to ensign and to preach to
the people, for he was at the first election ;
and there he shewed how by constraint
they chose first the archbishop of Bari to
be pope. The French king and his
brethren and the prelates of France meekly
received him and gladly intended to his
business and words, for it seemed to them
that he spake all truth, and so gave faith
• ' Couloura grandement son fait ' ; that is, * greatly
strengthened his position.'
to him. And when he had been a season
in France, then he went into Hainault,
where he was also joyously received: in
like wise so he was in Brabant both of the
duke and of the duchess, but he did there
nothing else. He thought in his returning
to have gone into Liege, but he took other
counsel and went not thither, but returned
to Tournay, and thought to have gone into
Flanders to have spoken with the earl ;
but it was shewed him that he had nothing
to do there, because the earl held and
would hold of Urban and so to live and
(lie. Then the cardinal departed from
Tournay and went to Valenciennes, and so
to Cambray, and there he lay a long space
in hope always to hear some good tidings.
Thus the Christian realms were in varia-
tion and the churches in great difference
because of the popes. Urban had the
greater part, but to speak of the most
profitable revenues and plain obesiance,
Clement had it ; and so Clement by con-
sent of the cardinals sent to Avignon to
make ready the palace there for him, for
his intent was to go thither as soon as he
might, and so he went to the city of
Fondes^ and there opened his graces.
Thither drew all manner of clerks, such as
would take grace ; and he kept about in
villages many soldiers, who made great war
to Rome and to the bourage of Saint
Peter,^ and travailed them day and night
with divers assaults and scrimmishes. And
also they that were in the castle Angelo
without Rome did much trouble to the
Romans ; but they of Rome enforced them-
selves so with soldiers Almains and with
the puissance of Rome, so that they
assembled together on a day and conquered
the bourage of Saint Peter. Then the
Bretons drew them into the castle of
Angelo : howbeit, they were so handled
by force of arms, that they gave it upi
their lives saved. Then the Bretons de-
parted and drew to Fondes and thereabout
in the country, and the Romans beat down
the castle Angelo and brent the bourage
of Saint Peter.
1 Fondi.
2 * And also they that were in the bourg of Saint
Peter travailed them greatly,' etc. These are the
partisans of Clement, Bretons and others, who
had occupied the castle of Saint Angelo and the
strongholds of the borgo and were driven out by
the Romans as mentioned below.
THE QUEEN OF NAPLES AND POPE CLEMENT
219
When sir Silvester Bude, who was in
Lbe country, heard how his men had lost
the bourage of Saint Peter and the castle
Angelo, he was right sore displeased and
studied how to be revenged of the Ronmns.
Il was shewed him by his spies huw on a day
the Romans and the noblest men of the city
of Rome should assemble together in council
in the Capitol. As soon as he knew that,
he assembled I(f^ther a certain number
and rode forth hy covert ways secretly,
and so came to Home in the evening and
entered in at the gate of Naples. When
Ihese Bretons were within, they look the
straight way to the Capitol, and came
thither as the council of Rome Were issued
out of the chamber. Then the Bretons
cnuched their spears and ran in among
Ihem, and slew and beat down a great
numlier of the most notablest of the dty.
There was slain a six bannerets and a two
hundred of other rich persot^s, and a great
number hurt. And when these Bretons
had done their enterprise, they withdrew
Ihem against night, and then it began to
lie late, so thai they were not pursued,
what for the night and for the sudden fray
Ihal they were m, for they wist not what to
ilo but lo take heed of their friends that
were sore hurl. So they passed that night
in great distress and sorrow of heart, and
so buried the dead and dressed the hurt.
And in the morning the Ramans advised
themselves of a great cruelty, for the poor
clerics that were in Rome and were in no
fault, they slew and hurl of them more
than three hundred, and specially Bretons
that fell in their hands there was no mercy.
Thus went the malt_ers in Rome by reason
of the state of the popes, and daily Ihey
bought it dear, such as were without fault.
In the mean season that Clement and his
cardinals lay thus at Fondes, the queen of
Naples came thither to see him, for she
did pnt herself under the obeisance of pope
Clement. This queen had been long in
purpose to put the realm of Sicily, whereof
bhe was lady, and the county of Provence,
which dependcth of the same realm, into
the hands of the pope, to do with Ihem at
his pleasure and to give them to some high
prince of (he realm of France, being of
buch puissance to keep them against such
fts she hated deadly, who were descended
of the realm of Hungary, And when
the queen of Naples was come lo Fondes,
she humbled herself lowly lo pope Clement
and was confessed of him and discovered to
him all the secrets of her heart, and said :
' Holy father, I hold divers noble heritages,
ns the realm of Naples, the realm of Sicily,
Paylle,! Calabrc, and the county of Pro-
vence ; and it is of truth that king Louis of
Sicily, duke of I^lle and Calabre, my
father, while he lived knowledged all these
lands to hold of the Church, and on his
death -bed he took me by the hand and
said : " Ah, fair daughter, ye arc inheritor
of many a rich country, and I am sure
many great lords will seek lo have you in
marriage because of the fair heritage that
ye have. Therefore, daughter, I would ye
should use you after my counsel, as to
many yourself lo so high a prince that may
be puissant to keep and maintain you and
your heritage in rest and peace. And if it
so fortune that ye have none heiis, theu
deUver all your lands into the hands of the
pope then being alive ; for king Robert my
father at the hour of his death gave me in
like charge. Therefore, fair daughter, I
charge you and discharge me." And thm
I promised him on my faith in the presence
of all them that were in his chamber that I
should accomplish his last de^re. And,
holy father, so it was that after his decease
hy the consent of all the nobles of .Sicily
and Naples 1 was married to Andrew of
Hungary, brother to king Louis of Hun-
gary, by whom I had no issue, for he died
young at Aix in Provence : and after his
decease I was married again to the prince
of Tarent, who was called Charles, and by
him I had a daughter. Then the kmg of
Hungary for the displeasure that he had
for Andrew his brother,^ my first husband,
went and made war against my husband
Charles of Tarent and took from him
Puylle and Calabre, and took him in battle
and led him to prison into Hungary, and
there he died. And yet after again ty the
accord of the nobles of Sidly I married
again Icing James of Malloica, and sent into
France for sir Louis of Navaire to have
married my daughter, but he died by the
.TarlhedutboTAndrt'
.rolher.
220
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
way. Then it fell so that the king my
husband went to conquer his heritage of
Mallorca, the which the king of Aragon
had taken from him by force, and had dis-
herited him and caused his father to die in
prison. And or he departed from me, I
said to him : ** Sir, I am a lady, and have
puissance and riches sufficient to maintain
your estate according to your desire."
Howbeit, he preached so much to me and
shewed me so many fair reasons, desiring to
recover his heritage, so that I was fain to
consent to him to take his pleasure. But
at his departing I desired him to have gone
to king Charles of France and to have
shewed him his business and to have
ordered himself by his counsel. Howbeit,
he did not so, the which was his hurt ; for
he went to the prince of Wales, who pro-
mised to have aided him. So he had
greater trust in the prince of Wales than in
the French king, to whom I was near of
lineage. And in the mean season, while
he was in his viage, I wrote to the French
king and sent great messengers to him,
desiring him to send me a nobleman of his
blood to marry my daughter, to the intent
that mine heritage should not be without
an heir. The king sent his cousin sir
Robert of Artois, who wedded my daughter.
And in the viage that the king my husband
made he died ; and after again I married
sir Otho of Brunswick : and because sir
Charles de la Paix* saw that sir Otho
should have mine heritage as long as I
lived, he made us war and took us in the
castle of rCEuf,^ when the sea was so high
that we feared it would have overflowen us,
at which time we were so affrayed, that we
yielded us all four to sir Charles de la Paix,
our lives saved : and so he held us in prison,
my husband and I, my daughter and her
husband, and so it happed that my son
and daughter died there ; and after by
treaty I and my husband were delivered,
so that Puylle and Calabre might come- to
him ; and also he intendeth to come to the
heritage of Naples, of Sicily and of Pro-
vence, for he seeketh all about for alliance,
and so will take away the right of the
Church as soon as I am dead, if he may.
Therefore, holy father, I will acquit me
1 Charles of Sicily, called de la Paix, son of Louis
of Durazro.
2 The Castel dell' Ovo at Naples.
against God and you, and acquit the souls
of my predecessors, and put into your hands
all the heritages that I ought to have, of
Sicily, of Naples, Puylle, Calabre and Pro-
vence, I give them to you to do with them
your pleasure, to give them to whomsoever
it pleaseth you, such as may obtain them
against our adversary sir Charles de la
Paix.'
Pope Clement received joyfully her words
and took her gift in great reverence, and
said : * Ah, my fair daughter of Naples, we
shall so ordain that your heritage shall have
such an heritor of your own blood, noble
and puissant to resist against them that will
do or offer you or them any wrong.' Of
all these words and gifts there were public
instruments and authentic made, to the in-
tent that the matter should abide firm and
stable in time to come, and to be of more
plain knowledge to all them that should
hear thereof after.
CHAPTER CCCXLVII
How pope Clement came to Avignon, and of
the gifts that he gave to the duke of Anjou,
and how sir Silvester Bude and his com-
pany were beheaded : and of the country
of Flanders and of their adversity.
When the queen of Naples and sir Otho of
Brunswick had done all things, wherefore
they were come to Fondes to the pope,
then they took their leave and departed and
went to Naples. Then it was not long
after but that pope Clement imagined in
himself, that to abide long about the parts
of Rome was nothing profitable for him,
and saw well how the Romans and pope
Urban travailed greatly to get the love of
the Neapolitans and of sir Charles de la
Paix : therefore he doubted lest the pas-
sages and ways should be closed against
him, so that he should not get to Avignon
when he would. And the principal and
special cause that inclined him to go to
Avignon, was to the intent to give to the
duke of Anjou the rights that the queen of
Naples had given unto him of all the fore-
said seignories, whereof he had instruments
passed and sealed. So he ordained secretly
and sagely his business and took the sea,
and his cardinals with him, in galleys and
Sl/i JOHN HA WKWOOD
vessels that were come out of Aragon.
They had wind and weather al will, and
ji lived without rjanmge at Marseille,
whereof a.11 the country was right glad ;
and from thence he went to Avignon and
sent word of his coming to the French king
and to his brethren, who were right glad
of hi& coming. And the duke of Anjou,
who lay al tEe city of Toulouse, went to
see Ihe pope, and at his coming the pope
(;ave him all the gifts that the queen of
Naples had given him. The duke of
Anjou, who alvrays desired high Beignories
and great honours, received the gifts in
great magni licence, and so had them to
him and to his helis for ever, and said to
the pope that in as short lime as he might,
he would go so strong into those marches,
diat he would be able to resist them that
would do any wrong to the queen of Naples.
The duke tarried with the pope a fifteen
days, and then returned to Toulouse to the
duchess his wife ; and pope Clement de-
livered his men of war to sir Bernard de la
Salle and to Florimont ' to make war
sgainst his enemies.
The same season there was in the
uaiches of Tuscany in Italy a valiant
knight English called sir John llacoude,'
who did and had done many a noble feat
of arms. He issued out of Ihe realm of
France, when the peace was made between
the two kings at Bretigny beside Charlres,
and in ihal time he was but a poor knieht,
and then he thought, to return again into
England into his own country he thought
he could win nothing there ; ' and when he
aw that all men of war should avoid the
tealm of France by the ordinance and
treaty of peaCT, he made himself captain of
a certain number of companions called the
l.ate-comers * and so went into Bui^oyne,
ind there he assembled a great number of
ach rutters, English, Gascons, Bretons,
Almoins and companions of divers nations.
And this Hacoude was one of the chief
'iih Briquet and Creswey by whom the
battle of Brignais was made, and helped
to get the Vont le Spirit with Bemajd of
Sorges : and when they had warred and
harried the country against the pope and
the cardinals, then they were entreated and
went to the marquis of Montferrat, who as
then kept war with the lords of Milan.
And so this marquis brought them all
beyond the mountains, after he had deliv-
ered to them sixty thousand franks, whereof
Hacoude had for his part ten thousand lor
him and his company. And when they bod
achieved the war with the marquis, divers
then returned into France, for sir Bertram
of Guesclin, the lord de la Marche, and the
lord Beaujeu, the marshal of France, and
sir Arnold d'Audrehem' brought them into
Spain against king don Peter on king
Henry's part ; and sir John Hacoude and
his company abode still in Italy. And
pope Urban the fifth, as long as he lived,
had him in his wars of Milan, and in like
wise so had pope Gregory, who reigned after
him. And this same sir John Hacoude
had for the lord Coucy a fair journey against
the eail of Vertus ; for it was said for truth
that the lord Coucy had been overthrown
by the earl of Vertus and the Lombards, if
this Hacoude had not been : for be came
to his aid with five hundred, because the
lord Coucy had wedded the king of Eng-
land's daughter and for none other cause.
This sir John Hacoude was a knight
right hardy and of great experience, and
well renowned in the marches of Italy, and
did there many great feats of arms. 'Then
the Romans and Urban, who called himself
pope, advised in themselves, when Clement
was departed from the marches of Rome,
to send for him and to make him master
and governour of all their war. So they
sent for him and retained him and all his
company : and he acquitted himself right
valiantly ; for on a day with the help of the
Romans he discomfited Silvester Bude and
brought prisoner to Rome and was in great
danger to lose his head. And to say the
truth, it had been better for him to have
been beheaded the same day he was brought
to Rome, than otherwise, for the honour of
him and of his friends ; for afterward pope
noLd d'Agdrebom.'
J
224
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
but I will say still and maintain, that if
John Lyon will truly acquit himself, this
ordinance may be done. And I know so
much that my lord the earl, if the matter
come not to his intent, John Lyon shall
lose his favour and office, and give the office
to me. And when I once have it, then ye
shall agree thereto : we are puissant enough
in this town to rule all the residue ; there is
none will say against us : and then I shall
do so that John Lyon shall be overthrown.
Thus we shall be revenged on him without
any stroke giving.'
All his brethren accorded to him ; so the
parliament came and all the mariners were
ready. There John Lyon and Gilbert
Mahew shewed them the earl's pleasure on
the new statute that he would raise on the
navy of Lys and TEscault, the which thing
seemed to them all right hard and contrary
to their old custom ; and the chief that
spake thereagainst were Gilbert Mahew's
brethren more than any other. Then John
Lyon, who was chief ruler of them all, was
right joyous, for he would to his true power
maintain them in their old ancient fran-
chises and liberties, and he weened that all
that they said had been for him : but it
was contrary, for it was for an evil intent
towards him. John Lyon reported to the
earl the answer of the mariners, and said :
* Sir, it is a thing cannot be well done, for
great hurt may come thereby. Sir, an it
please you, let the matter rest in the old
ancient estate and make no new thing
among them.*
This answer pleased nothing the earl, for
he saw that if the matter might be brought
up and raised, it should be well worth to
him yearly a seven thousand florins. So
he held his peace as at that time, but he
thought the more ; and so pursued by fair
words and treaties these mariners, but
always John Lyon found them right obsti-
nate in the case. Then Gilbert Mahew
came to the earl and to his council, and said
how that John Lyon acquitted him but
slackly in the matter ; but an the earl would
give him the office that John Lyon hath,
he would so handle the mariners, that the
earl of Flanders should heritably have the
said profit. The earl saw not clear, for
covetousness of the good^ blinded him,
and by his own counsel he put John Lyon
1 * Covetousness of gain.'
out of the office and gave it to Gilbert
Mahew. AMien Gilbert Mahew saw how
he had the office, within a little space he
turned all his six brethren to his purpose
and so made the earl to have his intent and
profit ; wherefore he was never the better
beloved of the most part of the mariners.
Howbeit, it behoved them to suffer, for the
seven brethren were great and puissant
with the aid of the earl. Thus by this
subtle means Gilbert Mahew gat himself in
favour with the earl, and he gave many
gifts and jewels to them that were near about
the earl, whereby he had their loves, and
also he gave many great presents to the
earl, the which blinded him, and so by that
means he gat his love : and all these gifts
and presents this Gilbert Mahew raised of
the mariners, whereof there were many that
were not well content ; howbeit, they durst
speak no word to the contrary.
John Lyon by this means and by the
purchase of Gilbert Mahew was out of the
earl's favour and love, and so kept his house
and lived of his own, and endured and
suffered patiently all that ever was done to
him. For this Gilbert Mahew, who as then
was chief ruler of all the ships, covertly
ever hated this John Lyon, and took away
the third or fourth part of the profit that he
should have had of his ships. All this
John Lyon suffered and spake no word,
but sagely dissimuled and took in gree all
that ever was done to him, and said:
'There is time to be still and time to
speak.* This Gilbert Mahew had one
brother called Stenuart, a subtle man, who
advised well the manner of John Lyon, and
said to his brethren in prophesying as it
came to pass : * Sirs, this John Lyon suf-
fereth now and hangeth down his head:
he doth it all for policy ; but I fear me he
will at length make us lower than we be
now high : but I counsel one thing, that
while we be thus in the earl's favour, let us
slay him. I shall soon slay him, if I take
the charge to do it, and so we shall be out
of all perils.' His other brethren would in
no wise consent thereto, and said to him
that in no wise he should do him any hurt,
saying to him how a man ought not to be
slain without the sentence of a judge.
Thus the matter continued a certain
space, till the devil, who never sleepeth,
awaked them of Bruges to dig about the
THE WHITE HOODS AT GHENT, 1379
course of the water. And the eati was
well accorded to them and sent gr^at
nutnbei of pioneers and men of aims to
assUt them. Before that in time past they
would have done the same, but they of
Gaunt by puissance biake their purpose.
These tidings came to Gaum, how they of
ihe river of Lys, the which should greatly
lie lo the prejudice of Gaunt. Many folks
in t)ie town began to murmur, an<] specially
the mariners, for it touched them near ;
wherefore they said they of Bruges should
not be suffered so to dig, to have the course
of the river to ihem, whereby their town
should be destroyed. And some said
privily: 'Ah, God help now John Lyon,
lor if he had been stiU our governour, it
should not have been thus : they of Bruges
would not have been so hardy to attempt
10 hi against us.'
John Lyon was well advertised of all
tliese matters : then he began a little to
wake, and said to himself : ' I have slept a
season, but it shall appear that for a small
occasion I shall wake and shall set such a
tremble between this town and ibe earl,
lllat it shall cost peradventure B hundred
thousand men's lives," The tidings of these
d^gers increased : so it was, there was a
woman that came from her pilgrimage from
our Lady of Boulogne, who was weary and
at down in the market -place, whereas
there Were divers men, and some of them
demanded of her from whence she came.
She answered, ' From Boulojjne, and I
have seen by the way the grtate^l mischief
that ever came to this town of (Jaunt ; for
there be more than live hundtiHl pioneera,
that night and d.iy workelli btfure the river
of Lys ; and if they be not let, they will
ihorlly turn the course of the water.' This
womao's words was well heard and under-
Uuided in divers places of the town. Then
Ihev of the town b^an to moan and Said :
'This deed oucht not to be suffered nor
consented unto. Then divers went to John
Lyon and demanded counsel of him, how
ibey should use themselves in this matter.
And when John Lyon saw himself sought
W by them, whom he desired to have Ihe'"
the matter were better ascertained. And
so he was sore desired, or he would speak
or declare his thought, and when he spake,
he said : ' Siis, if ye will adventure to
remedy this matter, it behoveth that in this
town of Gau . - , .
this
id that is, that ye bring up again
the while hats,' and that they may have a
chief ruler to whom they may draw and by
him be ruled.' These words were gladly
heard, and then they said all with one voice :
' We will have it so : let us raise up these
white hats.'
Then there were made white hats, and
given and delivered to such as loved better
Lyon to be chief governour of all the white
hats, the which office he took on him right
gladly, to the intent 10 be revenged on his
enemies and to bring discord between the
towns of Bruges and Gaunt and the earl
their lord : and so it was ordained that
they should go out against the diners of
Bruges with John Lyon their sovere^
captain, and with him two hundred with
their companies, of such as had rather have
hod war than peace. And when Gilbert
Mahew and his brethren saw the manner
of these while hats, they were not very
joyful thereof. Then Stenuart said to his
brethren : ' I said to you before how this
John Lyon should discomfit us at length.
It had been better that ye had believed
me before and to have let me have slain
him rather than he should be in this estate
that he is now in and is likely to b<;.in ;
and all is by the white hats that he hath
brought up. 'Nay, nay,' quoth Gilbert,
' when I have once spoken with my lord
the earl, I warrant you they shall be laid
down again. Let them alone to do their
enterprise against the pioneers of Bruges
for the profit of this our town ; for else, lo
say the truth, the town were but lost,'
John Lyon and his company with the
white hats departed from Gaunt in will to
slay all the pioneers and such other as
kept them. These tidings came to the
pioneers how the Gaunlois came on them
b
i
226
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
never after so hardy to dig there again.
When John Lyon and his company saw
nothing to do, they returned again to
Gaunt ; but for all that John Lyon left not
his office, but that the white hats went
daily up and down the town and John Lyon
kept them still in that estate ; and to some
he would say secretly : * Hold you well con-
tent : eat and drink and make merry, and
be not afraid of anything that ye dispend.
Such shall pay in time to come for your
scot, that will not give you now one penny.*
CHAPTER CCCXLIX
How by the exhortation of John Lyon the
Gauntois sent certain notable burgesses of
the town of Gaunt to the earl of Flanders
for the conservation of their privileges and
old franchises, and of the desire the earl
made to lay do\^'n the white hats.
In the same week that John Lyon had
been thus at Deynse, to have met with the
pioneers of Bruges, there came divers out
of the franchise of Gaunt to complain to
them that had as then the rule of the
law, and said : * Sirs, at Eccloo beside
us, the which is within the franchise of
Gaunt, there is one of our burgesses in
the earl's prison, and we have desired the
earl's baily there to deliver him, but he
hath plainly answered that he will not
deliver him, the which is plainly against the
privilege of this town of Gaunt. And so
thereby little and little your privileges
shaH be broken, the which in time past
have been so noble and so highly praised,
and beside that so well kept and maintained,
that none durst break them, and that the
most noblest knight of Flanders held him-
self well reputed to be a burgess of Gaunt.'
Then they of the law answered and said
how they would write to the baily desiring
him that the burgess may be delivered, * for
truly his oflfice extendeth not so far as to
keep our burgess in the earl's prison.' And
so they wrote to the baily for the deliver-
ance of the l)urp;ess, being in prison in
Eccloo. The baily answered and said :
' What ncedeth all these words for a mar-
iner? Say,' quoth the baily, who had to
name Roger d'Auterive, * to them of Gaunt,
that thoneh he were a richer man ten times
than he is, he shall never go out of prison
without my lord the earl command it. I
have puissance to arrest, but I have no
power to deliver. ' The words of this Rc^er
d'Auterive were reported to them of Gaunt,
wherewith they were sore displeased and
said how he had answered right proudly.
By these answers and incidents, as well [as]
for the pioneers of Bruges, who would have
digged against the heritage and profit of
Gaunt, and for such other semblable
deeds, whereby the franchises of Gaunt
should have been hurt, there began to run
through the town and abroad in the country
these unhappy ribalds called the white hats,
to the intent to be the more feared and re-
nowned : ^ for it behoveth in a lineage that
there be some foolish and outrageous, to
maintain and sustain the peaceable.
The tidings of this mariner burgess of
Gaunt being in the earl's prison at Eccloo,
whom the baily would not deliver, spread
abroad in the town of Gaunt, and divers
folks began to murmur and to say how it
was not to be suffered ; for in sitting still
and being too soft in maintaining of their
franchise they might lose all, the which
hath been so noble. John Lyon, who in-
tended always but to one thing, and that
was to set in trouble the town of Gaunt
against the earl their lord, in such wise that
he should not appease it again but with
much sorrow and great damage, wherefore
he was nothing displeased of these adven-
tures, but he would always that for one
of them there had fallen thirty. He put
forth his words and covertly did sow them
through the town, saying how that when-
soever offices be bought in a town, the
jurisdictions and privileges cannot be well
kept : * for the earl receiveth now yearly
three or four thousand firanks beyond the
old usage or customs, whereby the mer-
chants and mariners greatly complaineth
them and leaveth to resort to the town of
Gaunt, both they of Valenciennes, of Doaay,
of Lille, of Bethune and of Toumay : and
this may be a thing whereby the tovm may
1 Froissart wrote as follows : * The rich and pru-
dent men of Gaunt began to suffer those ribalds
called the white hoods to run through the town and
abroad in the country, to the intent that they (the
rich men) might be the more feared and renowned.'
In what follows he seems to mean that but for the
* foolish and outrageous* persons in the community
the prudent and peaceable would be oppre^ed : a
very large concession to revolutionary principles.
THE WHITE HOODS AT GHENT
be lost ; for little and little dally (be Bran-
chises be taken away and ancient privil^es,
andyel there isno man darespeak against it.'
Gilbert Mahew and the ruler of the mean
crafts,' who was of Gilbert's patty, heard
with their own ears daily such wQrds and
knew well how they did rise by John Lyon;
but they durst not remedy it, for John Lj
had sowed throughout the town the wh
hats, and given Uiem to such companions
hardy and outrageous, in such wise that
none durst assail them : and also John
Lyon went never alone ; for whensoever
that he went out of his house, he had ever
with him a two or three hundred white
hats about him : nor he never went abroad
in the town without it had been for a great
cause, for he was greatly desired to have
his counsel on the incidents thai fell within
Gaunt and without concerning the franchi)
of the town and liberties uereoT. An
when he was in council, then he woul
shew a general word to the people ! he
spake in so ba rhetnric and by so great
craft, that such as heard him were greatly
rejoiced of Ms language and would say
all with one voice that all was true that
he said. Ky great prudence John Lyon
jjiid lo the people : 'Sirs, I say not that
lie should hurt or ininish any part of my
lord the earl's inheritance ; for thongh we
would, we cannot, for reason and justice
would not suffer us : nor that we should
■eek any craft or incident whereby we should
be in his displeasure or indignation ; for we
ought always lo be in love and bvour
with our prince and lord : and my lord
the earl of Flanders is our good lord and
a right high prince, feared and renowned,
and always hath kept us in peace and pros-
ity; the which things we ought lo
)w, and lo suffer the more largely : more
ind we are thereto than if he had travailed
jr displeased us or made war or hated
ind to have put to his pain to have out
goods. But howsoever it be, at this present
' e is evil counselled or informeii
US and gainst the franchises of the
}wn of Gaunt, in that they of Bruges
ein his favour than we. Itappeareth
aell by Ihe pioneers of Bruges, that, be
lieing there, they came to take away out
heritage and to take away the river, where-
'""" town of Gaunt should be destroyed.
And also he would have made a castle at
Deynse against us, to bring us in danger
and lo make us weaker ; and I know well
how they in Bruges had promised him in
time past ten or twelve thousand franks
yearly, to have to them the easement of the
river of Lys. Therefore I counsel, let this
good [own of Gaunt send lo the earl some
sad and discreet personages to shew him
boldly all these matters, as well touching
the burgess of Gaunt in prison in Eccloo,
the which his boily will not deliver, as all
other matters, wherewith the good town of
Gaunt is not content. And also, these
matters heard, then let it be shewed hjin
also that he nor his council think that we
be so dull or dead, but that, if need be, we
may (if we list) make resistance Ibereagainst :
and so, his answer once heard, then the good
cown of Gaunt may take advice to punish
the trespass on them that shall be Ibund
culpable against them-'
And when John Lyon had shewed all
these words to Ihe people in the market-
place, every man said, 'He saith well,'
and then went home to their own houses.
At these words thus spoken by John Lyon
Gilbert Mahew was not present, for he
doubted Ihc white hats, but his brother
Stenuart was there always. He prophesied
of time to come, and when he was returned
to his brother, he said i 'I have always
said, and say yet again, how that J ohn Lyon
shall destroy us all. Cursed be the hour
that ye had not lei me alone ; for an I had
slain him, he should never have overcome
lightly up ; and now it is
ace, nor we dare not annoy
jve mm ; he is as now more grealer
town than the earl.' Gilbert an-
swered and said ; ' Hold thy peace, fool ;
for when I will, with the earl's puissance
all the white hats shall be cost down ; and
such there be that beareth them now, that
hereafter shall have no need of any hat.'
So then there were charged certain bur-
gesses to goambassade to the earl, of the sad-
' tmen of the town, and Gilbert Mahew was
of them that was chosen logo ; and that
icd John Lyon, to the intent that if ihey
spake anything contrary to the earl's dis-
pleasure, that the earl should be displeased
with him as well as with any other. So they
departed and found the earl at Male, and did
so much that finally they accorded so well.
228
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
that the earl granted them all their requests
as touching their prisoner at Eccloo, and
promising to keep and maintain the fran-
chises of Gaunt without breaking of any of
them, and defended them of Bruges that
they should not be so hardy to dig on the
heritage of them of Gaunt : and the better to
please them of Gaunt, he commanded them of
Bruges to fill again the dikes that they had
made. And so they amiably departed from
the earl and returned to Gaunt, and re-
corded all that they had done with the earl
their lord, and how he will maintain them
in their franchises without breaking of any of
them : howbeit, he desired them by fEiimess
to lay down the white hats. And with
those words the earl's servants brought
again the prisoner from Eceloo, and so
yielded him again, as by the vray of re-
establishing, whereof they had great joy.
At this answer making was John Lyon
and a ten or twelve of the most notable of
his company ; and when they heard that
the earl required that the white hats should
be laid dovm, every man held his peace :
then John Lyon spake and said : * All ye
good people Uiat be here present, ye know
and have seen but late how the white hats
hath better kept your franchises than either
red or black hats have d(Mie, cnt of any other
colour. Be ye sure, and say that I said it,
as soon as the white hats be laid down by
the ordinance that the earl would have it
so, I will not give for all your franchises
after not three pence.* The which words
blinded so the people, that every man de-
parted thence, and the most part went
home to their houses and said : ' Let him
alone : John Lyon saith truth : we have
not seen in him but good and profitable
fcHT our town.'
So the matter stood still in the same
case ; and Jc^ Lyon was then in more
fear of his life than he was before, and
imagined anon as it fell after ; for he
thought that Gilbert Mahew had wrought
some matter against him and his company
in his last vo\-age with the earl, because the I
earl made so amiable an answer. Then he
thv>Ligh: to lind some remedy, and ordained '
and made secretly captains of the white >
ha:s, as centeniers and cinquanteniers,^ j
^ ' Heatis of hundreds and heads of fifties,' to ;
'*h:ch i> added in th<r full text * diseniers»* '"beads ;
and to them said : ' Sirs, say unto your
company that they be day and night pur-
veyed ready, and as soon as they know or
hear any moving, let them come to me ;
for it were better we slew than to be slain,
sith we have begun so far.* And as he
ordained, so it was done, every man ready.
CHAPTER CCCL
How the white hats slew the baily in the
market-place, and of the goods and houses
of mariners that were destroyed, and of
the great bnilling that was then in Gavmt
It was not long after but that the baily of
Gaunt, Roger d'Auterive, came to Gaunt
with a two hundred horse and ordained to
do as the earl and Gilbert Mahew and his
brethren had devised. The baily, with two
hundred men that he brought with him, came
doMm along the streets with the earl's banner
in his hand; and when he came into the
market-place, he rested and set the banner
before him : then anon drew to him Gilbert
Mahew and his brethren and the ruler of the
mean crafts. It was ordained that his men
of arms should go to John Lyon's house,
and to take him, as chief nder of the white
hats, and a five or six other of his company
of them that were most culpable, and they
to have been brought to the castle of Gavre
and th«« to have had their heads stricken
of£ John Lyon, who thought no less and
was well advised of this d^d, for he had
spies and watches in every comer of the
town, he knew well of the coming of the
baily, and knew for certain, and so did all
the white hats, that the same journey was
set for them. They aU drew tc^ether be-
times and came to John Lyon's house, who
was ready in the street abiding for them.
So there came ten, thai twoity, and ever as
they came they fell in array in the street ;
and when they were assembled to the
number of four hundred, then John Lyon
departed as fierce as a lion and said : ' Let
us go on these traitors that will betray the
good town of GaunL I thought well that
all the sweet words that Gilbert Mahew
brought us the last day from the earl was
but deceit and destruction for us; but I
shall make them repent it.'
Thea he and his company went a great
THR WHITE HOODS AT GHENT
pace, and always his number increased ; for
ihere were divers that fell to his company
that had no while hats, but they cried,
■ Treason, treason ! ' and came about by a
strait lane into the market-place, whereas
the bajly was, representing the earl's person.
And as soon as Gilbert Mabew and his
brethren saw John Lyon come into the
place, they fled away as fast as they might,
and so did all other except such as the
baily brought with him. As soon as John
Lyon was come into the place, the captain
of the white hats with a gieal company with
him came to the baily, and without any
word speaking they took and cast him lo
the earth and slew him Ihere, and then the
earl's banner was ctist down to the ground
and torn all to pieces ; and they touched no
man there but the baily, and then Ihey came
all about John Lyon. And when the earl's
men saw the tally dead and the earl's
banner all to-tom, they were greatly abashed
and so look their horses and voided out of
the town.
Ye may well know that Gilbert Mahew
and his brethren, who were enemies to
John Lyon, were not well assured of them-
selves in their own houses ; wherefore they
departed as ^t as Ihey might and voided
Ihe town one after another, and left behind
them wives, children and heritages, and
went as soon as they might to the earl and
shewed him how his baily was slain; of
the which tidings the earl was sore dis-
pleased, and good cause why, for Ihey had
done him great despite, and said and swaie
how it should be greatly recompensed, or
ever that he returned again into Gaunt,
and that they should never have peace with
him, in ensample to all other towns. So
Gilbert Mahew and his brelhren abode
still with the earl, and John Lyon and the
while hats persevered still in their outrage.
When Roger d'Anletive was thus slain
and all other departed, and that none
appeared before the while hats to be
revenged, then John Lyon, who intended
to overrun the mariners,' because he loved
them not, said : " Sirs, on afore to these
Use traitors Ihe Mahewi, thai would this
day destroy ihe franchise of the town of
Gaunl ' ; and so they ran along the streets
to their houses, but they found nobody
Ihere, for they were departed : then Ihey
were sought for in Iwigings, street by
street and chamber by chamber. And
when John Lyon heard how none of them
could be found, he was sore displeased :
then he gave all their goods to his com-
pany, and so all their houses were pilled
and robbed, so that nothing was left, as
though they had been foise traitors to the
town ; and when they had done, they
returned into their own houses. And after
that there was no ofticer of the earl's,
neither within Ihe town nor without, that
once said to them Ihey had done evil,
and as at that time they durst not, for the
white hals were so multiplied Ihal none
dursi displease them : Ihey went in Ihe
streets by great companies, but there were
none Iha.t would meet with them. It was
said in divers places in Ihe lown, and with-
out also, how Ihey had some supportalion
of some ofiicers and rich men in Gaunt:
the which was likeiy to be so, fin- who
durst begin such a riot as to enterprise lo
slay the earl's baily holding the earl's
banner in his hands, doing his office, with-
out some holslerer or comforter in their
deed? And after that they multiplied and
were so sirong in the town, that they cared
for no manner of aid but of themselves ;
there were none thai durst displease Ihem
oi withsay anything Ihat they would do.
This baily Rc^er d Auterive was taken by
the friars and so buried in iheir church.
AVhen this thing was ihus fortuned,
divers good men, sage and rich, of Ihe
town ofGaunl were right sorry, and began
to speak and murmur, and said each lo
other how Ihey had done a great outr^e
in slaying thus the earl's baily in diring of
his o^e, and how of right their lord Ihe
earl must need be displeased with them,
and by all likelihood never to have rest nor
peace with him, and how that these un-
gracious people had brought all the town
in peril to be destroyed, vrithoul God lind
someremedy. Howbeil, for all these words,
there were none that durst find the means
to correct or to amend ihem ihal had done
this outrage. John de la FaucUie, who as
then was in Gaunt, a niau right sage and
greatly renowned, saw how the mailer was
gone so Ear and saw how outrageously Ihey
bad slain the baily, he thought the matter
should be evil at length : and for the intent
he should not 1>e suspect with the earl nor
230
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
with the town, he departed from the town
as privily as he might and went to a fair
house that he had without Gaunt, and there
abode and feigned himself sick, so that
none spake with him but his own men :
and daily he heard tidings out of Gaunt,
for he had left behind him the most part of
his goods and his wife and his children
still in the town. Thus he dissimuled for
a season.
CHAPTER CCCLI
How twelve burgesses of Gaunt were sent to
the earl of Flanders, and how in the same
season the white hats pilled and brent the
fair castle of Andrehen.^
The good men in Gaunt, and rich and
notable merchants, who had within the
town their wives, children and merchandise
and their heritages, both within the town
and without, and had to live by right
honourably without danger, they were not
well at their ease in their hearts to see the
business in Gaunt. They knew well they
had sore forfeited against the earl their
lord, and thought well how he would pro-
vide therein some remedy and that they
should be fain to make amends of their
trespasses now or else another time, and
they to put themselves in the earl's mercy ;
wherefore they thought it better to do it
betimes rather than too late. Then they
took counsel together to see how they
might use themselves to the profit and
honour both of them and of the town. To
this council was called John Lyon and the
captains of the white hats, or else they
durst not have done it. There were many
words, and divers purposes devised : finally
they were all of one accord that they of
the council should chose twelve notable
persons and send them to the earl, requir-
ing him of mercy for the death of his
baily, whom they had slain, and so by that
means if they might have peace, they
would be glad, so that all might be com-
prised in the peace and nothing else de-
manded of the earl's part. Then these
burgesses were chosen that should go on
this viage, and always John Lyon said :
* It is good to be in favour with our lord
1 Wondelghem, about three miles to the north
of Ghent.
and prince.' Howbeit, he would the con-
trary, and thought and said to himself that
the matter was not yet thereas he would
bring it imto. So these burgesses departed
and went to Male beside Bruges to the
earl, who at their first coming made a
cruel and a fell countenance against them
of Gaunt. These twelve burgesses made
a pitiful complaint before the earl and
required him, holding up of all their hands,
that he would have mercy on them, and
excused themselves of the death of the
baily, both them of the law and the notable
persons of the town, and said : ' Right
dear sir, accord so to us that we may bring
peace with us to the town of Gaunt, the
which loveth you so well : and, sir, we
promise you that in time to come this
outrage shall be so greatly recompensed on
them that hath done it and caused it to be
done, so that ye shall be content and that
it shall be to all other towns ensample.'
These twelve burgesses made so humble
requests, that the earl somewhat refrained
his ire, and by means of other that was
made to him that he accorded and ordained
articles of the peace. And the earl par-
doned all his evil will that he had against
them of Gaunt by the amends that should be
made. But then there came to them other
new tidings, as I shall shew you hereafter.
John Lyon, who was at Gaunt, thought
all contrary to that he had said in the
council, how that it was good to be in
favour with their lord. He knew in cer-
tainty that he had so much trespassed
against the earl, that his peace should
never be made with him, and if he had any
peace granted him he thought it should be
but dissimulation and that it should cost him
his life at last. So therefore he thought
he had rather be shamed than to be in
peril and in adventure of his life every day.
I shall shew you what he did. While the
counsels of the town were with the earl for
peace, he assembled together all the white
hats and of all the crafts in Gaunt such as
were of his accord, and so came to his
purpose by a subtle means, and then said
to them all : * Sirs, ye know well how we
have displeased our lord the earl of
Flanders and how we have sent unto him.
We know not as yet what report they will
bring, whether peace or war ; for the earl
is not easy to be appeased, for he hath
BURNING OF THE CASTLE OF WONDELGIIEM
2;i
about him such as will rather stir him to
displeasure than to quietness, as Gilbert
Muiew and his brethren. There is a
fanndred hinderers of the peace rather than
one furtherer : therefore it were good that
we took good heed to ourselves, if we have
war, to know who shall aid us and how we
shall get us love among you rulers of such
a craft and such a craft. Cause to-morrow
to come into the fields as many men as ye
can get, and there we shall see how able
every man is and how they be furnished.
It is better to be advised betime than too
late : this shall cost us nothing, and yet we
shall be the more feared and drad/ They
til answered and said : ' It is well devised :
so let it be done.'
The next day they went out all at Bruges
gate and so went into the fields in a fair
pjaxn without Gaunt called Andrehen.
Then John Lyon beheld them gladly, for
they were a ten thousand and all well
armed : then he said : ' Behold, here is a
goodly company ' : and when he had been
diere a certain space and had gone all
about them, then he said : ' Sirs, I counsel,
let us go to the earls place hereby, sith we
be so near it, for it is shewed me how he
maketh there great provision : it may
fixtune to be great prejudice to our town
of Gaunt.' Thev all agreed thereto, and
so came to Andrehen, the which was as
then without any great keeping oi* defence.
So they entered and sought all about the
house, and anon this ungracious company
pilled and robbed it of idl that ever they
iband there : there was within it much
riches, for the earl had made there his
wardrobe. John Lyon made semblant as
though he had been sore displeased : how-
beit, that was not so, as it appeared ; for
when they were departed from the castle
and come again into the field, they looked
behind them and saw all the place afire,
and that the fire was more than in twenty
places in the castle, so that it was not in
the people's puissance to quench it, nor
also they had no great will to do it. Then
John Lyon, as though he had great marvel,
said : * How cometh yonder fire- in my
lord's house?' And some answered and
said: 'We cannot tell, but by adventure.'
*Well,' quoth he, *we cannot then amend
it : it is better that it be brent by adventure
rather than by us ; and also, all things con-
sidered, it was a perilous neighbour to us,
for my lord might there a set such a
garrison, that might have done us great
damage, if we should have war with him.*
They all answered and said : * Ve say
truth ' ; and so returned into the town of
Gaunt and did no more that day, for they
had done evil enough and too much ; for
it cost after more than two hundred thou-
sand men's lives, and it was r>ne of the
princij-ial things wherewith the earl wa>
most displeased : and therefore John Lyon
did it, because he would have no peace ;
for he knew well, whatsoever treaty were
made, he was likely to lose his life. This
castle of Andrehen had cost the earl of
Flanders the building thereof two hundred
thousand franks, and he loved it best of all
the houses he had. The goixl men of
Gaunt who desired to have had peace was
of this adventure right sorrowful. How-
beit, they could not amend it, nor they
durst make no words thereof, for the white
hats said how the castle was brent by
unhap and none otherwise.
These tidings came to the earl of Flanders,
who was at Male, and he that brought him
word said : * Sir, know for truth your fair
house of Andrehen, the which hath a.H>i
you so much and that ye so well loveil, is
brent.' * Brent I ' quoth the earl. * Yea
surely, sir,' quoth he. *And how si'»?'
quoth the earl. * Sir, by unhap, as it is
said.' * Ah,' (juoth the earl, * that deed
shall never have peace in Flamlcrs as loiijj
as John Lyon livcth. He hatli coverily
made it to l>e set afire, but it shall K*
dearly bought.' Then he made the bur-
gesses of Gaunt to come bofi^re him and
said to them : * Ah, ye evil and unhappy
people, ye pray me with sword in t)io h.mil,
I have granted to you all yvuir rtHjUosts .\s
ye will yourselves, and now your folks have
brent my house, the which 1 lovt\i amvMij;
all other. Think they not that ihev h,>vo
done me despite enough in slayinj; nu- luily
for doing his office, ami to tear thoro my
banner and to tread it unilor their feet ?
Know for truth, saving mine honour an J
that I have given you safe-ciunUu't, 1 shmiKl
cause all your heads ti^ K* striv'ken ot^
Depart out of my ]^reseni'e and s.\y lo
yonder unhappy peoj^lo k\{ Gaunl ih.il llu'\
I shall never have peace nor trcaiy \Niih n\c.
i till I have of them whom 1 will, lo >:i;kc
33*
THE CHRONICLES OF FROJSSART
off their lieids, and none shall have mercy.
The burgesses, who were full sorry of thesi
tidings, because they were not culpable of
that deed, they began to excuse them ; but
there was none excuse would serve, for the
earl was so sore displeased, that he would
not heai them speak, and so made ihem to '
avoid his presence : and they look their
horses lo return (o Gaunt, and shewed how
well they had sped and had great peace
and appointment ^•^ <his castle had no!
been brent ; and also they shewed how the
■earl greatly menaced ihem and sent them
word how Ihey should never have peace
with him, til! he hod as many of the town
at his pleasure as be list lo have. The
good people of the town saw well how the
mailer went but evil for (hem and haw the
■white hats had caused all ; but there was
none so hardy that durst speak it.
The earl of Flanders went from Male to
Lille, and all his household ; and then
be sent for all his lords and knights of
Fianders, such as held of him, to have their
counsel how he might do in all his busi-
nesses and how lo be revenged of them of
Gaunt, who had done bim so many de-
spiles. All (he gentlemen of Flanders
sware lo him lo be good and (rue, as they
ought to be to their lord, without any
mean;' wherefore the eari was greatly
rejoiced. Then he sent men to all his
coslles, lo Termonde, Rupelmonde, Alost,
Gavre, Oudenatde, and all about he made
great provision.
CHAPTER CCCLII
Of the death of John Lyon, and of other
caplains thiU the Gauntois made \ and of
the good towns in Flanders, that allied
themselves to Gaunu^
John Lyon was greatly rejoiced, when he
saw that the ear] of Flanders would take no
peace with them of Uaunt, seeing he could
come to no peace, and he had then put
the lown of Gaunt so forward in war, that
they must needs then, whether Ihey would
or nol, continue the war. Then he said
openly : '.Sirs, ye may see and understand
)f Flanders providelh
bow our lord the ei
himself against us and will have n
with us. Therefore I counsel you for the
besl that, or we be more grieved or op-
pressed, let us know what towns in Flanders
will take our part. I dare answer for them
of (he town of Grammont, that they will
not be against us, but lake out part, and in
like wise so will they of Courttay, for they
be within our franchise and Courtray is our
chamber; but behold here ihem ofBruge^
who be great and proud, for by them all
this matter was first moved. It is good
that we go to them so strong, that other
by fairness or by rigour we may bring them
lo our accord.' They all said: ' II were
good it were so.' Then by process of time
all such OS should go in Ibis journey were
made ready, and so departed from Gaunt
about a nine or len thousand men, and had
ith them great carriages, and so lay the
first night at Deynse and the ne*
morning
Ihey approached Bruges, and so came within
a little league thereof. Then they arranged
themselves in the fields and set themselves
in order of battle, and their carriages be-
hind Ihem. Then John Lyon ordained
that a certain of the rulers of divers crafts
should go to Bruges and to know their in-
lenls. And so they went to Bruges and
found the gates fast shut and well kepi, and
there Ihey shewed the intent wherefore
ihey were come ihither. The keepers said
Ihey would go gladly and shew their miods
lo Ihe borough-masters and chief rulers ' of
Iheir town, and so they did. Then the
rulers answered : 'Go and shew them how
this
will go to council and take advice in
' So they relumed and shewed
and when John Lyon heard
he said: 'Advance forward
abide till tbey take
enter but with much
: shall n
It is better that w
1 then
Sm» nul mo«n • I IhBt 15, "ilhi
' -Inmi^ggica] OTd€r.
imadadoK
they lake counsel, whereby ihey shall be
suddenly token.'
This purpose wos kept, and so the
Gaunlois came lo the barriers aod dikes
of Bruges, John Lyon with Ihe foremost
mounted on a black courser, and incon-
tinent he alighted and took an axe in his
hand. And when they that kept the
DEATH OF JOHN LYON
^33
barriers, who were nol strong enough to
inake defence, saw the Gannlois approach
ready to give assault, they went into the
streets of the town and into the market-
nlaeeand cried ever as they went : 'Behold
here the Gauntois ready at the gate : go tn
jour defence, for they are ready to the
assaulL' Then they of the town, who were
assembled together to have gone to council,
were right sore abashed and had no leisure
to speak together to ordain for their busi-
ness, and the most part of the commonalty
woald that the gales should have been
npened, and it behoved so to be, or else i[
had been evil with the rich men. Then
ihe borough -masters and rulers of the town
with other went to the gate, whereas the
Gauntois were ready apparelled to make
assault. The borough-masters and rulers
of Bruges, who had Ihe governing of the
town for that day, opened the wicket to
speak with John Lyon, and so opened the
barriers and the gate to treat ; and so long
Ihey spoke Ic^elher, that they were good
friends and so entered in all together. And
John Lyon rode by the borough - master,
the which became him well : he was hardy
and courageous, and all his men clean
armed followed him. It was a fair sight to
see them enter in good order, and so came
to the market-place, and there he arranged
his men in the streets. And John Lyon
held in his hand a while warderer.
So between them of Gaunt and of Bruges
there was made an alliance and sworn
always to be good friends together, and
that they of Gaunt might summon them
and lead them whithersoever they would.
And anon, after that the Gauntois were
arranged about the market - place, John
Lyon and certain captains with him went
up intii the hall and there made a cry for
the good town of Gaunt, commanding that
every man should draw to his lodging fait
and easily and unarm them without noise
or moving, on pain of their heads, and that
DO man dislodge other nor make no noise
in Iheii lodging, whereby any strife should
rise, on the same pain ; and also that no
man take anything from another, without
he pay therefor incontinent, on the said
pain- This cry once made, then there was
another cry made for the town of Bruges,
that every man should meekly and agree-
.il>ly receire Ihe Gauntois into their houses
and to minister to them victuals according
to the common price of the town, and that
the price should not be raised in no manner
□f thing, nor no noise to be made or debate
moved ; and all these things to be kept on
pain of their heads. Then every man went
to their houses ; and so thus right amiably
they of Gaunt were with them of Bruges
two days, and there they allied and bound
These obligations were written and sealed,
and on the third day they of Gaunt de-
parted and went to the town of Damme,
where the gates were set open against their
coming, and there they were courteously
received and tarried there two days. Then
suddenlya sickness took John Lyon, where-
with he swelled ; and the same night (hat
the sickness look him he supped with great
revel with the damosels of the town, where-
fore some said he was th ere poisoned, whereof
I know nothing, nor 1 will not speak too
far therein. But I know well, the next
day that he fell sick, at night he was laid
in a litter and carried to Ardenburg : he
could go no farther, but there died, whereof
they of Gaunt were right sorry and sore
dismayed.
Of the death of John Lyon all his enemies
were right glad and his Iriends sorry, and
so he was brought to Gaunt, and because
of his death all the host returned. When
the tiilings of his death came 1o Gaunt, all
the people were right sorry, for he was well
beloved, except of such as were of the earl's
part. AH the clergy came against him, and
so brought him into the town with great
solemnity, as though it had been the earl
of Flanders: and so he was buried right
honourably in the church of Saint Nicholas,
and there his obseqoy was done. Yet for
all the death of this John Lyon, the alU-
anccs and promises made between them of
Gaunt and of Bruges brake not ; for there
were good hostages in the town, wherefore
it held.
Of the death of this John Lyon the earl
was right glad, and so was Gilbert Mahew
and his brethren and the ruler of the
mean crafts in Gaunt and all such as were
of the earl's part. Then the earl made
sorer provision than he did before in al! his
castles and towns, and he sent to the town
of Ypres a great nuniher of knights and
stjuires out of the liberties of Lille and
1
234
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Douay, and said how he would have reason
of Gaunt. And anon after the death of
John Lyon all they of Gaunt advised how
they could not be long without captains.
Then they ordained of the aldermen of the
crafts and of the cinquanteniers of the ports ^
four of them according to their advice, most
hardy and cruel persons of all other. First
they chose John Pruniaux, John Boele,
Ralph de Herselle and Peter du Bois,^
and all the other people sware to maintain
and obey them as their captains, on pain of
their heads that did the contrary, and the
captains sware again to keep and maintain
the honour and franchises of the town.
These four captains stirred them of
Gaunt to go to Ypres and to [the] Franc,
to have obeisance of them or else to slay
them all. So these captains and their
people departed from Gaunt in good array :
they were a twelve thousand clean armed,
and so came to Courtray. They of Court-
ray suffered them to enter into their town
without danger, for it pertained to the
franchise of Gaunt, and there took their
case two days and the third day departed
and went to Ypres, and took with them two
hundred ' men of arms with the cross-bows
of Courtray, and so took the way to
Thourout. And when they came there,
they rested and took counsel, and advised
to send thither a three or four thousand of
their men and the captain of the white hats
with them, to treat with them of Ypres,
and the great battle to follow after to com-
fort them, if need required. As it was
ordained, so it was done, and so came to
Ypres : and when they of Ypres, and
especially they of the mean crafts, knew
the coming of them of Gaunt, they armed
them and took the market-place, and they
were a five thousand : so there the rich
men of the town had no puissance. The
knights that were there in garrison, set by
the earl, went ordinately to the gate of
Thourout, whereas the Gauntois were
without, desiring to have free entry : the
knights and squires were ready ranged
before the gate and shewed good defence,
nor indeed the Gauntois had never entered
without great damage, but that the ancient
crafts of the town against the knights'
1 The better reading is ' paroches,' ' parishes.'
« T\%m. tni» name is Van den Bossche.
■"*uiing is * twelve hundred.'
will would that the Gauntois should
enter. ^ The men of the town went out of
the market-place and so came to the gate,
the which the knights kept, and said :
* Sirs, open the gate : let our friends and
neighbours of- Gaunt enter : we will they
shall enter into our town.' The knights
answered that they should not enter, and
said how they were stablished there by the
earl of Flanders to keep the town, the
which they would do to the best of their
powers, saying how it lay not in the
puissance of Gaunt to enter there. Inso-
much that words multiplied in such wise
between the gentlemen and them of the
town, that at last they cried : * Slay and
beat down them : they shall not be masters
of our town.' There was a sore scrimmish
and long endured in the streets. The
knights were not of sufficient force to resist
against them of the town, so that there
were five knights slain, whereof two
were sir Roubaix and sir Hovard de la
Hovarderie, the which was great damage,
and there was in great danger sir Henry
d'Antoing. With much pain some of the
rich men of the town saved him and divers
other : but the gate was set open and the
Gauntois entered and were lords and
masters of the town without damage of any
hurt.^ And when they had been there two
days and taken surety of them of the town,
who sware in like manner and form as they
of Bruges, of Courtray, of Grammont and
of Damme had done, and delivered hostages
for the same intent, then they departed
right courteously and so went again to
Gaunt.
CHAPTERS CCCUn-CCCLV
SUMMARY.— The men of Ghent with
those of Bruges y Ypres and other towns be-
sieged Oudenarde in great force j and also
sent a body of men to 'Termondey where the
earl was, and attacked it both by land and
water. Being unable to take it, these re-
tired to Oudenarde y where the siege con-
tinued long and the earl feared that his
garrison might be reduced by famine. The
' By the better text, 'but that the small crafts
of the town, whether the greater would or not,
went out of the market-place,' etc.
2 * Without doing any damage in it.*
WRECK OF SIR JOHN' ARUNDEUS SHIPS
235
emintess of Arias, methcr of the larl ef
Flanders, teai pains to tnd the war, and
iltsired the duke ef Jiurgiiridy, ■who by his
•Jiife was next heir to the airldom ef
Flanders, to find some remedy. By his
mtans face mas- arranged, on condition thai
tkt earl shoHld pardon all and should tame
to dwell in Ghent, and they ef Gheni should
rebuild the castle of Wandelghem. The
larl came first to Bruges and there stayed
The dtike of Brittany at the desire of his
peeflt retumtd from England with sir
Robert Knolles and a small fares of English-
men, and isjas reesived in Brittany Tvitkjoy
by most.
The emperor Charles of Bohemia died,
having first secured the election of his son.
A marriagf was proposed belJiieen the
young iing of En^atui and the daughter ef
Ike emperor Charles.
CHAPTER CCCLVI
How l!ie
EnElisfimen
that
were
acnl in
p
BrelajTi
how Ihe
Gaumois d
iir«i
n hni
! the earl
of Flanders Iheir 1o
<l In
dwell
their lown of Gaunt
The same season it was ordained in
England by the king s^aA his council that
two hundred men of arms and four hundred
archers should go into Bretayne, and the
chief captain of that journey should be sir
John Arundel, and with him should go sir
Hugh Calverley, sir Thomas Baoaster,
sir Thomas Triwet, sir Walter Paveley, sir
John Bourchier, the lord Ferrers and the
lord Basset. All these knights drew to
Hampton j and when they had wind, they
entered into theur ships and departed. The
first day the wind was reasonable good for
them, but against night the wind turned
contrary to them, and whether they would
or not, they were driven on the coast of
Cornwall. The wind was so sore and
strainablc, that Ihey could cast none
anchor, nor also they durst not. In the
morning the wind brought them into the
Irish sea, and by the rage of the tempest
three of their ships brast and went to
WT9.ck, wherein was sir John Arundel, sir
Thomas Banaster and sir Hugh Calverley,
and a hundred men of arms, of the which
hundred fourscore were drowned, and sir
John Arundel their captain was (here
perished, which was great damage : and
sir Hugh Calverley was never in his life
before so ti^h his death, for all that ever
was in his ^p, except himself and seven
mariners, were all drowned. For he and
the seven mariners that were saved took
hold of tables * and masts, and the strength
of the wind brotighl them to the sands :
howbeit, they had drank water enough,
whereof they were right sick and evil at
ease. Out of this danger escaped sir
Thomas Trivet and sir John Bourchier,
the lord Ferrers, the lord Basset and divers
other, bat they were sore tormented and
in great peril ; and after that this tempest
was ceased, they relumed again to Hamp-
ton, and went back again to the king and
his uncles and recounted alt their adven-
tures, weening to them that Hr Hugh
Calverley had been drowned with the
other. Howbeit, that was not so, for he
was gone sick to London. Thus brake up
that journey, whereby the duke of Bretayne
could have no comfort of the Englishmen,
which was right conlrarious to him ; for
all that season and the winter following
the Frenchmen made him right sore war,
and the Bretons, as sir Oliver Clisson and
his company, took the town of Dinan in
Bretayne t)y reason of vessclsand liarges;and
so the town was pilled and robbed and was
kept against the duke a long season after.
Now 1« us return to the business of
Flanders.
When the peace was agreed between the
earl of Flanders and them of Gaunt by (he
means of the duke of Buigoyne, whereby
he gat himself much thank in the countiy,
the intent and pleasure of them of Gaunt
was to have their lord the earl of Flanders
to dwell with them in Gaunl, and there to
keep his household. The earl also was
counselled by the provost of Harlebecque
and of them thai were nent about him, to
do so, whereby he should nourish great
love between him and them of Gaunt.
The earl lay still at Bruges and came not
to Gaunt, whereof they had great marvel,
and specially the good and rich men of
Gaunt and such as were sage and wise, for
they desired nothing but peace ; but the
pahards' and white hats and such as
236
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
desired rather strife and debate, they cared
nothing for the earl's coming, for they
knew well that if he came, they should
privily be corrected at last for the evil
deeds that they had done. Notwithstand-
ing that they were in this doubt, yet they
that had the governing of the law, the
councillors and good men of the town,
would for anything that he should come
thither and that they should go and require
him so to do, for they thought they had no
firm peace without the earl came thither.
And so there was ordained twenty-four
men to go to Bruges to shew to the earl
the great affection that they had to have
him : and so they departed honourably, as
it appertained for them that should go for
their lord ; and it was said to them by
them of the town : * Sirs, return never
again to Gaunt, without ye bring the earl
with you ; for if ye do, ye shall find the
gates closed against you. *
Thus these burgesses of Gaunt rode
forth toward Bruges, and between Bruges
and Deynse they heard say how the earl
was coming to Gaunt-ward, whereof they
were right joyous : and they had not ridden
past a league farther, but that they met the
earl in the fields. Then the burgesses
stood still on both sides of the way, and so
the earl and all his company passed through
them. As he passed by, the burgesses in-
clined themselves right low and humbly and
made great reverence to the earl. The
earl rode through them without any great
regarding of them, but a little put his hand
to his hat, nor all the way he made to them
no semblant. So the earl rode on the one
side and the Gauntois on the other, till they
came to Deynse ; and there they rested, for
the ,earl did dine there, and the Gauntois
went to other lodgings and dined also.
And after dinner the Gauntois in good
array came to the earl and kneeled all
down before him, for the earl sat, and there
they presented right humbly the affection
and service of them of the town of Gaunt,
and shewed him how by great love they
of Gaunt, who desired so much to have
him with them, hath sent them to him :
' And, sir, at our departing they said to
us tliat it were but a folly for us to return
ai;ain to Gaunt, without that we brought
ycni thither with us.* The earl, who right
well heard these words, held his peace a
certain space, and at last, when he spake,
he said fair and softly : * Sirs, I believe well
it be as ye say, and that divers of Gaunt
desireth to have me among them : but I
have marvel of that they remember not, nor
will not remember, of time past, what they
have shewed me ; and I have been to them
so courteous, meek and gentle in all their
requests, and I have suffered to be put out
of my country my gentlemen, when they
have complained of them, to acquit their
law and justice. I have also opened divers
times my prisons to deliver out their bur-
gesses, when they have desired it. I have
loved and honoured them more than any
other of my country, and they have done to
me clean contrary. They have slain my
baily and destroyed the houses of my men,
banished and chased away mine officers
and brent the house in the world that I
loved best, enforced my towns and brought
them to their intents and slain my knights
in the town of Ypres, and have done so
many trespasses against me and myseignory,
that it is noyful to me to record it, and I
would I could never think on it ; but I do
and shall do, whether I will or not.* * Ah,
right dear lord,' said they of Gaunt, *for
God's sake never regard it : ye have all
things pardoned.' * It is truth,' quoth the
earl : * for all my words, in time to come I
will ye shall be never the worse : but I
shew it unto you, sirs, for the great cruelties
and felonies that I have found in them of
Gaunt.' Then the earl appeased himself,
and rose up on his feet and caused them to
rise, and said to the lord of Ramseflies,*
who was by him, * Go, get some wine.' So
they of Gaunt drank and departed to their
lodgings, and tarried there all that night,
for so did the earl ; and the next day all
together they rode towards Gaunt.
CHAPTER CCCLVII
How the earl of Flanders entered into the
town of Gaunt, and of his departing thence
without knowledge of any of the town, and
how the walls of Oudenarde were beaten
down by the white hats and their fellows.
When they of Gaunt understood that the
earl was coming, they were right joyful and
came to meet him, some afoot and some a-
1 i.e. Reighersfliet.
THE EARL OF FLANDERS AT CHFjrr
V .'tielncic ; uid lliej meekljr indiiieti thetn-
/Ives low and <lid him icireTence, and be
■.i-.,cd forth nithoiit juijr word speakii^ w
my of them and bat a little iDcIioed hu
hi^ad, and so came to his lodging called the
Postern, and there dined And had mafiy
presents given him by them of the town.
And (here came to see him ihey of the taw
rjf the town ' and humbly indined them-
selves to him, as reason refjuiied ; and the
carl Slid : ' Siis, good peace requiieth
nothing but peace ; wherefore I would that
these white hats were laid down and
amends to be made for the death of my
baily, for I am sore required therein of all
)us Dneage.' 'Sir,' quoth the men of Inw,
'it is >i^t well our intent that it should so
be ; and, sir, we require your grace with all
humility that it may piease yon to-morrow
next to come into an open place, and there
to shew yuur iiitent to the people : and
when they see you, they will be so rejoiced
that they will do everything that ye shall
deare them.' Then the earl accorded to
their tequesL
The same evening many folks knew in
the town how the earl should be the next
morning by eight of the clock in [he
market-place and there preach to the people.
The good men were right joyful thereof,
but the fools and outrageous people gave
DO fear thereof, and said how they were
preached enough, and how they knew well
what they had to do. John Piuniaux,
Ralph de Herselle, Peter du Bois and
* John Boele, captains of the while hals,
doubted lest all that matter should he
tt^ether and
their chaige : and then they spaki
tent for such of their company
ind worst of all
Other, and said to them : 'Sirs, take heed this
night and to-morrow and let your armour
be ready, and whatsoever be said to you, put
not off your white hats, and be all in the
market-place to-morrow by eight of the bell ;
but make no stirring nor strife, without it
be begun on you, and shew all this to your
companies or else send them word thereof. '
They said it should be done and so it
was. In the morning at eight of the clock
the/ came into the market-place, nM all
together but in divers plumps. The earl
came to the market-place a-horseback, ac-
companied with his knights and squires and
L
them of the law of the town, and by htm
bIoi^ the market-place, be cast his cyn ol
the white hats and was in his mind tight
sore displeased with them, and su alightnl,
and all other- Then he mounted up iMo
a window and leaned out thereat, utd ■ red
cloth before him, aod there he began lo
speak right s^ly, shewing ihcu bom point
lo point the love and afleeiion that he Iwlh
had to ihem, or they displeased him. Then
he shewed how a prince aiwl lord ought to
be beloved, feared, served and honoured
of his men, and how they had done lh«
contrary. Also he shewiMl how he halh
kept and defended them againit all men,
and how he had kept them in pence, profit
and prosperity in the passages of the sea,
the which was closed from them at hli font
entering into his knd. He shewed them
divers reasonable points, which the wise
men understood and conceived it clearly,
how all that ever he said was trulh. Divert
gave good ear lo him, and tome never a
whit, such as had rtither have war than
peace. And when he had been there lh«
space of one hour and had shewed them all
this and more, then finally he aaid how ho
would be their good lord in like manner m
he had been in time past, anil pardoned
them of all the injuries, hatei and evil wllta
that he had against them and all that Ihev
had done, he would hear no more thereof,
and to keep them in their righla and
seignories as in time past had licen uaetl i
howbeit, he desired them that Ihey thonld
begin no new thing nor cilsliim, and that
the white hats should he laid down,
At all these wordu that he (pake before,
every man held their peace i but when he
spake of the white hats, there wan auch •
murmuring and whiispeting, that It mlifht
well be perceived that it waH for that i^aiiie.
Then the eati desired them "weelly every
man lo draw to their own huuiea. and no
every man departed out of the place, but
the white hats were the fint that cam*
thither and the last that tarried i and when
the earl passed hf_ them, thev amlled and
fooluihly beheld him,' and tney maJa no
lIl/uIcK
•d of -111.'
240
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
that they beat down, and bow the war
began between them and the Gauntois
right cruel and without pity.
The hearing speaking of the treating of
this process may well be marvelled, for the
marvellous matter therein. Some giveth
the right of the war, the which was at that
time great and cruel in Flanders, to them
of Gaunt, saying how they had a good and
a just cause to make war : but I cannot see
that as yet, for I could never see nor under-
stand but that the earl loved ever peace
rather than war, reserving always his high-
ness and honour. Did he not at their
desire deliver their burgess out of his prison
of Eccloo ? and yet for all that they slew
his baily. And then he again pardoned
them that great outrage to the intent to
have kept them in peace ; and over that
again on a day they moved all the country
of Flanders against him and slew in the
town ofYpres five of his knights, and went
and assailed and beseiged Oudenarde and
did their pain to have oestroyed it, and yet
again they had of the earl peace. But for
all that, they would make none amends for
the death of Roger d'Auterive, the which
his lineage oftentimes desired ; wherefore
they somewhat revenged the death of their
cousin on a certain mariners, by whom all
this war and mischief was begun. Was
this yet any reasonable cause why they
should beat down the walls of Oudenarde ?
I think, and so did many other, that it was
none occasion so to do. They said the earl
was rather in their debt than they in his,
and that he should make them amends for
that that had been done to their mariners,
or ever they would deliver again Oudenarde.
The earl, who was at Lille, and his
council with him, was right sore displeased
in that they kept Oudenarde, and wist not
well how to get it again, and so repented
him of the peace that he had given to the
Gauntois ; and he wrote oftentimes to them
commanding them to deliver up Oudenarde,
or else he would make them so cruel war,
that it should be ever had in remembrance.
Tlu'v of (iaunt would in no wise avow the
deed ; fi)r if they had, they had broken the
IH'aco. Finally certain good people of
(lauiU and rich men, who would have
nothing by their wills but peace, went so
between in this matter, as John Faucille,
Gilbert Grutere, sir Simon Bette and divers
other, that the twelfth day [of March] they
of Gaunt being in the town of Oudenarde
returned again to Gaunt and delivered the
town to the earl's servants ; and to appease
the earl's displeasure John Pruniaux was
banished Gaunt and aU Flanders, because
by his advice the commons had taken
Oudenarde, without knowledge of the sub-
stance of the town of Gaunt And on the
other part the earl banished out of all
Flanders sir Philip of Masmines, sir Oliver
d'Auterive, the Gallois of Masmines, the
bastard of Windingues and all those that
were cause of the maiming of the mariners
burgesses of Gaunt, without knowledge of the
earl ; and so by the reason of these banish-
ings both parties were appeased. So John
Pruniaux forsook the country of Flanders
and when to Ath in Brabant and there
dwelled ; and sir Philip of Masmines went
to Valenciennes in the county of Ilainault,
but when they of Gaunt knew thereof, they
did so much to the provost of Valenciennes,
called John Partit, who in fair manner
caused the said knight to depart thence ;
and so he departed with his good-will and
went to Warlaing beside Douay and there
tarried till he heard other tidings ; and the
other knights and squires voided Flanders
and went into Brabant.
And as soon as the earl had again pos-
session of Oudenarde, he set workmen a-
work and new repaired the town better
than ever it was before, both walls, gates
and dikes. The Gauntois knew well how
the earl new fortified Oudenarde, but they
made no semblance thereof, because they
would no fault should be found in them, as
in breaking of the peace ; but the fools and
outrageous people said among themselves :
' Let the earl alone in his work, for though
he make Oudenarde of steel, yet it cannot
endure against us if we list.' For all this
peace thus in Flanders, they of Gaunt were
ever in suspect with the earl and the earl
with them, for daily there was brought to
the earl hard tidings of them of Gaunt,
and in like wise to them of Gaunt of the
earl. John de Faucille went and dwelt at
Nazareth, in a fair house that he had a
league from Gaunt, and so he lay there
still dissimuling as much as he might, and
would not be in counsel with them of
Gaunt, because he would not be noted by
irA/a RENEWED IN FLANDERS, 1380
Ihe eacl. and aJso he ke])t him from tlie
earl as much as he might, to keep him still
in love with them of Gaunt. Thus he
swam between two waves, making himself
In the mean lime, while the earl repaired
the town of Oudenarde, he prncured so
much by his letters to his cousin the duke
of Burgundy lo send him John Piuniaux,
being at Ath, that so he did and sent him
to the eatl. And so he was sent to Lille,
and there beheaded, a.nd then set on a
wheel like a traitor. Thus died John
Piuniaux. Then the earl went lo Ypres
and did (here great justice and beheaded
many evii-ruled people, such as had before
lieen at the death of his five knights there
ilain and had opened the gates to them of
Gaunt ; and this he did to the intent that
other should take ensample by them.
Of all these matters the Gauntois were
well informed, wherefore they doubled
more Ihaji they did before, and specially
die captains, such as had been forth in their
journeys and before Oudenarde, and they
said among themselves ; ' Certainly if the
earl may, he will destroy us all. He loveth
us well, for he will have nothing but our
lives. Hath he not put to death John
Pruniaux? To say truth we did John
PruniauK great wrong, when we banished
him &om us ; we are therefore culpable of
his death ; and lo the same end we shall all
come, if he may get us at his wilL There-
fore let us take good heed of ourselves.'
Then Peter du Bois said r ' Sirs, if ye will
believe me, there shall not a house stand
upright of never a gentleman in the country
about Gaunt ; for by reason of the gentle-
men's houses that be now standing, we
may be all destroyed, if we take not heed
thereto betimes and provide for some
remedy,' 'That is truth,' quoth all the
other, ' let us go forth and beat them all
down.' Then the captains, Peter du Bois,
John Boele, Ralph de Herselle, John de
Launoil and divers other with their com-
panies departed on a day from Gaunt and
brent and heat down all the gentlemen'i
houses thereabout, and took all that evei
was in theni and departed it among them-
selves : and when they had done, they re^
turned again to Gaunt ; they found never i
man that would say, 'Sirs, ye have done evil.
When the gentlemen, knights an J squires,
being at Lille with the earl and thereabout,
heard tidings how their houses were brent
' beaten down, and their goods taken
ly, they were right sore displeased, and
not without a cood cause- They said to
the earl ; ' Sir, iSisdespitemustbeamended
and the pride of them of Gaunt beaten
down.' Then the earl gave leave and
abandoned to the knights and squires to
make war against the Gauntois and to
■e them of their damages. Then
divers knights and squires of Flanders allied
themselves together and desired their friends
of Hainault to aid to revenge them of the
Gauntois ; and they made theu captain the
Hase of Flanders, the yonngest son bastard
of Ihe earl's,' a right valiant knight. This
knight with his company sometime lay at
Oudenarde, another time at Gavre, and
time at Alosl and at Termonde, and
imished with the Gauntois daily, and
time ran to the barriers of the town of
Gaunt, and beat down the windmills about
the town and did great despite to them of
Gaunt. And with them there was a knight
of Hainault called sir James of Werchin,
seneschal of Hainault, he did many feats
of arms in that season about Gaunt and ad-
ventured himself oftentimes right jeopard-
ously : he fought two or three times at the
barriers, and won bassenels and cross-bows
and other habiliments of war. This knight
loved well the noble feats of arms, and had
been a valiant knight, if he had lived long ;
but he died young in his bed in the castle
of Le Biez beside Mortagne, which was
great damage-
CHAPTERS CCCLIX-CCCLXXIV
SUMMARY.— The -mar became crvel be-
tween the earl attd gentlemen ef Planden
and Ihim of Ghent, v>ho sent to the Fremk
king to ask Aim not lo give avito Ike earl of
ftanders. Tht king and also Iht fope
Clement rather inclimdlo them than to the
Sir Bertranrf du Gueselin fell ill and
diedf-whileatsiegeb/foreacaslUtnAuvergne,
and the lord de Coucy excused himself from
being constable.
I Louis, caned Ihe Hase of Flanders : he bote a.
\
242
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
The earl of Buckingham passed over with
an army from England to help the duke of
Brittany y who was hard pressed. He arrived
at Calais in July 1380, and passed through
France, At Bethune they met the duke of
Saxony on his way to England on the
matter of the proposed marriage of the king
of England, The English army was pur-
sued by the lord de Coucy and others^ but
continued their march by Pironne, Lcton and
Rheims to Troyes, in which city was the
duke of Burgundy, After some fighting at
the barriers they passed on towards Sens,
making war always in the name of the duke
of Brittany and not of the king of England,
The king of France wrote to them of Nantes,
reminding them of their treaties with him
and asking them not to receive the English,
They replied that they would not aid any of
the king's enemies, and desired the king to
send aid to Nantes. Of this the duke of
Brittany, whowcLS at Vannes, knew nothing.
The English army passed through Beauce
and took the way to Venddme.
The king of France fell sick and sent for
the dukes of Berry, Burgundy and Bourbon,
to whom he delivered his dying charge, but
did not send for the duke of Anjou, because
he mistrusted him. Nevertheless when he
died, the duke of Anjou took on him the order-
ing of the realm above all other.
The duke of Brittany sent to meet the earl
of Buckingham and the English army and re-
quested them to come to Rennes, as the people
of Nantes were rebellious. They met, and
agreed to go and lay siege to Nantes, which
accordingly the English did.
King Charles the sixth was crowned on
All Saints* day with greed solemnity, and so
came to Paris.
The English at Nantes waited in vain
for the duke of Brittany, who could not per-
suade his people to go with him. The garri-
son of Nantes made many attacks on the
besiegers, whose provisions began to fail,
while they of the toivn had plenty by the
river. At length the earl of Buckingham
raised the siege and went to Vannes, where
the duke of Brittany met him and excused
himself fairly. So the English lay that
7uintcr at Vannes and about Hennebont,
Quimperh' and other places. Meanwhile
the duke of Brittany sent secretly to make his
' with the French king,
'^eds of arms were done before the
earl of Buckingham between French and
English knights and squires.
The duke of Brittany made his peace with
the French king by means of the duke of
Anjou, and the English returned to their
own country.
Now let us return to the business of
Flanders,
CHAPTER CCCLXXV
How the war began again between the earl of
Flanders and the Flemings, and how they
of Ypres were discomfited by a bushment.
It is of truth that the earl of Flanders at
this beginning feared little the Flemings
nor the Gauntois, for he thought well to
bring them under by wisdom and by arms
little and little, and specially sith that John
Lyon and John Pruniaux were dead. But
the Gauntois had as then other great cap-
tains, in whom they had great affiance and
did all by their counsel, and Ralph de
Herselle was captain of the chatelainy of
Gaunt, and John of Launoit captain of
Courtray, and there were other captains,
as John Boele, Peter du Bois, Arnold de
Clerck and Peter of Wintere. The same
season there was a strife between the great
men and the commons within the town of
Bruges : for the mean crafts would have
had everything at their pleasure and the
great men would not suffer it, and so they
rebelled : and a certain weavers and fullers
were slain and the other appeased. Then
the great men of Bruges sent to the earl to
Lille, desiring him for God's sake to come
to them as their chief lord and to help to
subdue the commons. The earl was glad
to hear that tidings and s6 departed Lille,
and sir William of Namur in his company
and a great number of knights and squires
of Flanders, and so came to Bruges, where
he was received with great joy. And at
the earl's coming there were taken all the
principals of them that had their hearts
Gauntois and such as were suspect, and so
were put in prison more than five hundred,
and little and little their heads were stricken
off. And when they of [the] Franc ^ under-
1 That is, the Franc of Bruges. The translator
generally takes it for the name of a town and there-
fore omits here the words 'de Bruges,' and below
translates ' le Franc de Bruges,' * Franke and Bruges. '
DEFEAT OF THE GAUNTOIS
243
stood that the earl was peaceably in Bruges,
they feared, and so put themselves into the
earl's mercy, and he received Ihem ^d had
gieat joy, foe daily his piiwer increased ;
and also they of [the] Franc always have
I token more the eail'a pait than all the
I reddue of FlanderB. The earl, seeing that
he had brought under his subjection them
of Bruges and of [the] Franc, and that he
had under him knights and squires of the
country of Haanault and of Artois, he
thought then little and little to conquer
again his country and to punish his rebels:
and first he ordained and said he would go
and see them of Ypres, for he hated them
P'eatly, because they opened their gates so
lightly to them of Gaunt, and said how that
they that had mode that treaty and to let
in his enemies to slay his kmghls should
repent it, if he might get the overhand of
them. Then he made his summons
through [the] Franc of Bruges, sayiag how
he would go to Ypres. Tidings came to
Ypres that the eail their lord ordained him-
self to come and assail them : then they
took counsel and determined to send word
thereof to them of Gaunt, to the intent
that they should send them some men to
assist the town of Ypres ; for they were not
Ijig enough of themselves to keep it with-
out aid of the Gauntois, who had promised
and sworn to aid them, whensoever they
had any need. So they sent covertly letters
to Gaunt and to the captains, and signified
to them the state of the earl and bow he
threatened to come and assail them. Then
they of Gaunt remembered well how they
were liound by their faith and promise to
aid and comfort them ; then they set forth
two caplaitis, John Boele and Arnold
Clerck, and they said to them : ' Sirs, ye
shall take with you three thousand of our
men and go hastily to Ypres to comfort
them as our good friends.' Incontinenl they
depajrted from Gaunt, and so these three
thousand men came to Ypres, whereof they
of the town had g^eat joy. Then the earl
of Flanders issued out of Bruges with a
great number of men, and so came to
Thourout and the next day to Poperinghe,
atid there tarried three days till all his men
were come, and then he was about a twenty
thousand men of war.
They of Gaunt, who knew right well all
^' ;r and hov* that the earl would go
puissantly to Ypres, they determined to as-
semble their puissance and to go by Court-
ray to Ypres, and so all together to fight
with the earl, saying that if they might one
time overcome him, he should never be
relieved after. Then all the captains
departed from Gaunt, Ralph de Herselle,
Peter du Bois and Peter de Wintere, John
de Launoit, and divers other as centeniers
and cinquanleniera, and when they were in
the field, they were a nine thousand. And
so long they rejourned' that they came to
Conrtray, whereas they were received with
great joy, for John de Laimoit was captain
there. The earl of Flanders, being at
Poperinghe and thereabout, understood that
they of Gaunt were coming to Ypres and
that they Were at Courtray on their way.
Then the earl look advice and held all his
company together. They of Gaunt de-
parted from Courtray and went to Roulers,
and there rested ani! sent word to them of
Ypres how they were come thither, shew-
ing them how that if they would issue out
of thefr town with their power and such as
were sent to them before, how they should
be all together men enow to tight with the
earl ; of the which tidings they of Ypres
were rig^t joyful, and so the next day
they issued out more than eight thousand,
and John Boele and Arnold Clerck were
their governours.
The earl of Flanders and his power, who
was in those marches, knew how they of
Ypres were issued out of their town to meet
with them of Gaunt (I cannot tell how nor
by what means), insomuch that the earl
ordained at a passage, by the which they
of Ypres must pass, two great bushments,
with his son the Hase, bastard of Flanders,
and the lord d'Enghien with divers other
knights and squires of Flanders and of
Hainault, with them of Bruges and them
of [the] Franc, and in every company there
were ten thousand men. Then when they
of Ypres and the Gauntois that were with
them with John Boele were in the fields
and had not journeyed post one mile, they
found two ways, the one went to Roulers
and the other 10 Thourouu Then they
rested and took advice which way they
should take : then Arnold de Clerck said :
' I counsel let as go and see our fellows al
Roulers.' ' By niy faith,' quoth John J
244
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Boele, * and I think it were better that we
were lodged on the Mount d'Or ; for be you
sure I know so well Petei du Bois and
Ralph de Herselle, sith that they have sent
for us, surely they will fight with the earl :
wherefore I am sure they will approach as
near to him as they can ; therefore I counsel
let us go that way.* So they determined
to take that way ; and when they had
gone a two miles, they were weary of going
afoot, and or they were ware, they were
between the two bushments ; and when they
saw that, they cried all, * We be betrayed.'
There were never men that made less
defence than they did as then, for every
man did what he could to save himself:
some returned to Ypres, and some took the
fields and Bed, he that best might, without
array or order, and the earl's men took and
slew them without mercy : howbeit, John
Boele and Arnold Clerck saved themselves.
They that fled towards Courtray met with
the Gauntois, who were departed firom
Roulers and were in the way to Rosebeque.
When Peter du Bois and the other saw
them that fled, they demanded of them
what they ailed. They answered and said
they could not tell, for they said they had
not the leisure to know the matter, but they
said they fled like men betrayed. Then
Peter du Bois had divers imaginations,
other to go forward and to return again
the flyers and to fight with their enemies
who chased them, or else to draw to Court-
ray. All things considered, they deter-
mined to draw back for that time, the
which they thought was for them as then
most profitable. So they drew aback in a
battle ranged in good order, and the same
day returned to Courtray ; and thither also
drew many of them that fled : so they
lodged all within Courtray, and made the
gates to be well kept, to the intent that
they should not be suddenly taken. And
when John Boele and Arnold Clerck were
returned and had reckoned all their people,
then they knew well that of them of Gaunt,
such as had been sent to Ypres before, they
had lost in number a twelve hundred, and
as many of them of Ypres ; and if they of
the bushment had chased them that fled to
Ypres and to Courtray, there had but a few
scaoed, but all had been dead or taken ;
'--«» fhased not far, they took heed to
to slay them that were within
their bushment, the which saved all the
residue. They of Ypres were sore abashed
when tl^y saw their people return beaten
and discomfited the same day that they
were issued out, and demanded how it
might be, and divers answered and said
how John Boele had betrayed them and had
brought them to be shamefully slain.
Ye have heard oftentimes recorded how
it is a hard work to appease a commonty
when they be stirred. I say this because
of them of Gaunt. When they were the
same day drawn back to Courtray, they
that were discomfited knew well that John
Boele was in the town. Then more than
a thousand drew together and said : * Let
us go on the false traitor John Boele, who
hath betrayed us ; for by him and by none
other we took that way that brought us
into the bushment of our enemies : for if
we had believed Arnold de Clerck, we had
been in surety, for he would have brought
us to our own company, an John Boele
had not been, who hath sold and betrayed
us and brought us whereas we were betrayed
and discomfited.* Lo, ye may see how
these commons accused him of treason,
and yet I think verily they had no cause so
to do ; for if it had been as they said, and
that he had sold and betrayed them to the
earl, he would never have returned again
to them, but rather have bidden still with
the earl. Howbeit, I cannot excuse him
so, but that it cost him his life, and I shall
tell you how. The Gauntois went and took
him in his lodging and so brought him into
the street, and there he was stricken all to
pieces, so that every man bare away a piece
of him. Thus ended John Boele. The
next day the Gauntois departed from Court-
ray and returned to Gaunt, and did send
John de Launoit to the castle of Gavre,
a castle of the earl's standing by the river
of I'Escault, and there this John made a
garrison.
CHAPTER CCCLXXVI
How they of Ypres and Courtray turned to
the earl of Flanders' part, and how the
town of Gaunt was besieged.
Now let us speak of the earl of Flanders
and of his company. When they had thus
by their bushment oveithrown the Gauntais
and slain a Ihree thoueand of them or there-
about, what nf them of Gaunt and of
Vpres, then the earl detennined to draw
toward the town of Vpres and to lay si^e
thereto. And as he was counselled, so it
was done, and he drew thither with all
his people, a great number of knights and
squires of Flanders, of Hainault and of
Artoia, who were come thilher to serve the
earl. And when Ihey of Ypres understood
that the earl came on them so strongly,
they were all sure afraid, and the rich men
of the town took counsel and said among
themselves how they would open their
gates and go and meet the earl and put
themselves under his obeisance and cry him
mercy, and to shew him how they were
Gaunlois by force, by reason of the com-
monly, as fullers, weavers and such other
anhappy people in the town, and they
thought that the earl was so pitifiil, that he
would have mercy on them. And as they
ordained, so they did ; and so more than
three hundred in a company came out of
the town of Ypres and had the keys of the
gates with them, and so they fell down on
their knees before the earl crying for mercy,
and did put themselves and their town at
his pleasure. The carl had pity on them
and took them to mercy, and so entered
with all his puissance into the town of
Ypres, and there tarried a three weeks and
sent home again them of [the] Franc and of
Bruges. And while the earl lay in Ypres,
he caused to be beheaJed more than seven
hundred of fullers and weavers and of such
mannei of people as had brought first into
that town John Lyon and the Cauntois,
and slain such valiant men as the earl had
set there ; for the which cause the earl was
sore displeased, and to the intent that they
should no more rebel, he sent a three hun-
dred of the most nolahlest of them into
prison in Bruges, and so then took his wa^
lo Courtray, to bring that town to his
obeisance.
When Ihey of Courtray understood that
the earl their lord came to them so strongly,
and how that Ypres was under his obei-
sance, then they greatly doubted, for they
saw no comfort apparent from them of
Gaunt; wherefore they were advised lightly
yield them to their lord, thinking it was
for them to hold with the earl, to
whom they ought to owe their faith and
homage, rather than to the Gauntois. Then
they ordained a three hundred of the best
of the town afoot lo go into the fields to
the earl, and the keys of the town with
them ; and when the earl came by, they all
kneeled down and cried for mercy. The
earl had pity of Ihcro and received them to
mercy and entered into the town joyously,
and they alt made to him reverence and
honour. Then he took a two hundred of
the best of the town of Courtray and sent
them lo Lille and lo Douay in hostage, to
the intent that that town should no more
rebeL And when the earl had been there a
six days, then he went lo Bruges, and there
refreshed him a fifteen days ; then he made
a great summons to the intent to lay siege
to Gaunt, for all the residue of Flanders
was as then at his commandment. Then
the earl departed from Binges and so came
and laid siege before Gaunt, and lodged at
a place called the Biete.' Thither came to
the earl sir Robert of Namur to serve the
earl with a certain number of men of war
according as the earl had written unto him j
but sir William of Namur was not there ;
he was in France with the king and with
the duke of Bui^oyne,
This siege b^an about the feast of the
decollation of Saint John Baptist,' and
sir Walter d'Enghien was marshal of all the
host fFldrshwas g dhrdy
and ea d n pam p wh oe
F al ha h h be
th
Ih
h
th
G w L^ kn w w be
sore travailed and have much ado with the
ear! your lord, whereof we are sote dis-
pleased -. but, sirs, know for truth if we
did march near you, as within four or five
leagues, we should give yoa such comfort
as men ought to do to their good neigh-
bours and friends ; but ye be far off from
us, and also the country of Brabant is
9 39th AugUEL
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
forbear ; but though it be so, that ye be as
now besieged, yet be not discomforted, for
God knoweth and so doth all other good
towns that ye be in the right of this war,
wherefore all your business shall achieve
the better." Thus they of Liege sent to
them of Gaunt to comfort them.
The enrl of Flanders, who had thus be-
sieged the town of Gaunt on the side to-
wards Bruges and toward Courlmy, but as
Joward Brussels the earl could not come
noT lay his siege because of tbc great rivers,
thai is to say the river of Lys and the river
of I'Escault : and I say unto you, h1! things
considered, Gaunt is one of the most
strongest towns of the world, for it be-
hovetb more thai) two hundred thousand
men to besiege it round and to stop from
it all the rivers and passages, and also that
the hosts lie near together, for else they
could not comfort one another because of
the rivers, and also there is much people
in the town of Gaunt ; they were in those
days men of defence a fourscore thousand
men able to bear harness between sixty
year and fifteen.
And when the carl had lain at Ihis ^ege
the space of a month, and that his men
and the Hase his son and his marshal had
made many a Bcrimmish with them of
Gaunt, and some day won and some day
lost, as the adventures of war &1leth, then
the earl was caiunsellcd on a day to send
them of Bruges, of Ypres and of Poperinghe
to scrimmisb with (be Gauntois at a place
called the long bridge ; for it was thought
that if they might win that pince, it should
be a great advantage and prolit for them,
for then they should enter into the Four
Crafts' and thereby approach near to
Gaunt. And so there was ordained sir
Josse Halewyn to be chief captain of that
enterprise ; and so when they were come
to this passage, they found it not dis-
garnished, but well provided for with a
freat number of men of Gaunt; there was
'eter du Bois, Peter de Wlntere and Ralph
de Herselle. There began a sore scrim-
mish; there was shooting of cuns and cross-
bows on both pajties, whereby divers were
■ThUi
d called' I
■cMdiei!
slain and wounded ; and right well the
Gauntois did acquit themselves, for they
recuied their enemies and won by force the
goldsmiths' banner of Bruges, and there it
was cast down into the water ; and there
were of the goldsmiths and other a great
number slain and hurt, and specially sir
Josse Halewyn was there slain, which was
great damage ; and so the other returned
again without doing any more : so the
Gauntois bare themselves valiantly.
CHAPS. CCCLXXVH, CCCLXXVIII
SUMMARY.— The men of Gkinl took
Ahsl, Termonde aiid GravioioiU during
Ike sitge, and al Ungth the larl of Flanders
raised the siege and retired to Bruges. In
April of the next year he assembled his
host In the numier of about J0,ooo men, and
shortly after Ihey met a body of 600Q
Gauntois under Ralph de Herselle in the
fitlds near Nivele. A battle ensued, in
which the Gauntois fought well, tut were
outnumbered and compelled to retreat to
Nivele. Many look refuge in the minster,
where Ralph de Herselle was slain, and by
order of the earl of Flanders the minster
was set on fire and many of those within
mere bamt. Peter du Bois, whe had an-
other army in the neighbourhood, tvos uw
able to come to the rescue and retired to
Ghent, for which he was muck blamed, but
excused himself. The earl of Flanders
retired to Bruges and sent his people home,
and those of Ghent issued forth to Courlray
and returned. Arnold dt Clerck with twelve
hundred of the while hoods was sent It
Govrre to annoy the garrison of Oudenarde.
Some of these hi slein by an ambush and
others at the aibey of Eham, where Ihey had
taken refuge.
CHAPTER CCCLXXIX
hoods and their cnptaii
WliEH ihe knights and squires thai were
within Oudenarde understood that Arnold
Clerck and the white hoods to the number
DEFEAT OF ARNOLD DE CLERCK
Z47
of twi^lve hundred were at the abbey of
Eham and had taken there divers of thejt
companions, they were right sore displeased,
3.nd so determined to send the same night
' : they might find
their t
n the n.
Tiing:
they ordained, so they did.
morning the spies brought report how the
white hoods were determined to abide there
all that day, wherewith these lords and
knights were right joyful. Then they
armed them, as the lurd li'Enghien, the
lord of Montigny, the lord of Britfeuil, sir
Michael de la Hameide, and more than
six hundred knights and squires of Hai-
nault and as many of Flanders, and out of
Oudenarde a three hundred speais and
more than a thousand cross-bows and other
vailets. And when they approached near
to them, they sent before sir Oliver of Eham
and a hundred spears with him to be^n
the assault, to the intent tti draw out of
the abbey Arnold Qerck and to occupy
the time while their foot-men and cross-
bows were come to them. Then sir Daniel
and sir Peter of Dixmude and the Hase of
Flanders came before the abbey of Eham
and cried, ' Flanders with the lion of the
bastard.'' The Gauntois, who wen
ware of the bushment, because it w
early, nor they were not fully readj'
ere Arnold Clerclc could bnng his
together in good array, the lord o'Ent.
the lord of Lens, the lord of Briffeud, the
lord of Escortiay, the lord of Montigny and
their liatlles entered ijehind into the town
in crying 'd'Enghien ! ' and set on the
Ciauntois and white hoods so valiantly,
that they could not endure, but brake their
order; so that there was slain of them,
what in the abbey and in the fields, eleven
hundred, and they were but twelve hundred
in all. And there Was Arnold Clerck slain
with two pikes as he was flying, and
was laid \ip leaning against a hedge.
after this discomfiture the lord d'Enghien
and the other knights returned to "^ " '
narde, and so this deed was reputed
prowess. And when the earl nf Flanders
knew these tidings, he was greatly rejoiced
and said to the lord d'Enghien how he was
his fair godson and should prove a noble
valiant man. To say the truth of the lord
I 'FlandresanHonaubasUnl t' Tfac Tl^
the lion of FIsndeis quulcied upon his shic
d'Enghien, in him was all the honour of
the county of Flanders, and so while the
earl lay at Bruges, he called him not only
his cousin but also his fair son.
When it was known at Gaunt that
Arnold Clerck was dead and his men dis-
comfited, there were many then that were
sore abashed and said among themselves ;
' Our business proveth Init evil r little and
little our captains and men are slain : we
think we have done evil to move this war tlius
against our own lord, for he doth minish QS
thus little and little; the evil will and hatred
that was between Gilbert Mahew and John
Lyon tur'neth to our great damage : I trow
we have too long sustained the opinions of
fohn Lyon and Peter du Bois, they have
>rought us so deep into this war and into
the hatred of the earl our lord, that now
,"^
y or thirty did rep
it than all the whole town.' Thus thei
were divers that said each to other privily ;
they durst nol speak it generally for doubt
of them that were evil ; for they were all of
one sect and daily increased in puissance,
and in the bt^nning they were but poor
companions without any substance, but
then they had gold and silver enongh ; for
when they needed and complained to their
captains, they were well heard and com-
forted, for then anon some of the rich men
of the town should be sent for to them,
and when they were come (for fear ihey
durst not refuse so to do), then the captains
would say to them : ' Sirs, it behoveth that
the good tovm of Gaunt make some shift
to pay our soldiers, who aideth and belpelh
to defend and to keep our jurisdictions and
franchise, and it behoveth that our com-
panions must live.' And so they would
ask of every man as they list themselves,
and none durst say nay, for an they had,
incontinent they should have been slain,
and borne in hand how Ihey had been
traitors to the good town of Galmt and
loved not the wealth, honour nor profit
thereof. Thus the knaves and evil -dis-
posed people were masters in the good
town of Gaunt and so continued as long as
the war was between them and the earl ot
Flanders their lord. And to say the very
truth, though the rich and noble meO
of the good town of Gaunt were thus
1
24S
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
beaten with such rods, there ought none to
be sorry thereof, nor they could not excuse
themselves but that by their own faults
they were cause of their own trouble.
Reason proveth how : for when the earl of
Flanders sent to them his baily to have
done justice on certain rebels and eviKdis-
posed people, they might, if they had list,
nave bidden by him and have given him
comfort in doing of justice, the which they
did not, but it seemed that they had liefer
the matter had gone evil, as it did, rather
than well, and had rather to have war with
their own lord than peace ; for well they
might know that if they had war, that the
evil people should be lords of the town
and should be their masters, and not to be
put down again when they would. This
proved well by John Faucille, who to the
intent to dissimule the matter departed out
of the town of Gaunt and went and dwelt
in Hainault, whereby he thought to be
purged out of blame for the war between
the earl and the town, thinking to bear no
blame of neither party. Howbeit, the
matter was so laid to his charge, that he
died thereby ; which was great damage,
for this John Faucille was in his time a
right sage and a noble wise man ; but it is
hard halting before lords and their counsels,
for they see clearly.^ This man could well
aid and counsel other, but as touching him-
self he could not take the best way. I
cannot say whether he were culpable or
not of the articles that he was examined of
at Lille by sir Simon Rin, but the knights
and evil fortune turned all against him, so
that he died. And in like wise so is fallen
of all the captains of Gaunt that sustained
the rebellion against their lord. Also it
hath cost sith many a man's life in Gaunt,
and peradventure many a one that were in
no default.
When Peter du Bois saw that the town
of Gaunt daily impaired and feebled, as well
in their captains as in their men, and saw
well how the rich men began to wax weary
and were in mind to leave the war ; where-
fore he doubted greatly, and imagined and
saw well that by no means of the world
1 ' But one could not in those days halt before
lords and their councillors, for they saw too clearly ' ;
that is, it was not possible to take a middle course
such as John de la Faucille had done. A better
reading is, ' but one cannot in these days (k present)
halt before, etc., for they see too clearly.'
there could any peace be made with the
earl, so that he should be sure of his life.
Then he remembered himself of John Lyon,
who was his master, and studied by what
means he wrought, and he saw well that
he could not do all thing alone, nor that
he had not the wit and understanding to
govern the whole town of Gaunt ; where-
fore he thought he would not have the
principal charge, but in all foolish enter-
prises he thought covertly to have the study^
of them. Then he remembered himself of
a man, the which was not greatly taken
heed of in the town of Gaunt. He was a
wise man, but his wisdom was not known,
nor he was not taken heed of till the same
day. He was called Philip d'Arteveld,
son to Jaques d'Arteveld, who in his time
seven year together had the governance of
all the county of Flanders ; and he heard
Peter du Bois and John Lyon his master*
and divers other ancient men of Gaunt
oftentimes say that the country of Flanders
was never more loved, honoured and feared
than it was in the time of Jaques d'Arte-
veld, the which endured the space of seven
year ; and as then he heard daily the
Gauntois say how that when Jaques
d'Arteveld lived, their business was in
good estate, for then, they said, they
might have peace at their wills and the
earl was glad when he might pardon us
all. Peter du Bois remembered well these
words in himself, and saw how Jaques
d'Arteveld had a son called Philip, a right
convenable and gracious man, and the
queen of England, while she lay at Gaunt
during the siege before Tournay, was his
godmother, and so for the love of her he
was named Philip. Then Peter du Bois
in an evening came to this Philip, who was
abiding in his mother's house and lived
honestly on their rents, and Peter du Bois
began to reason with him and began to open
the matter wherefore he was come to him,
and said thus : * Philip, if ye will take good
heed to my words and believe my counsel,
I will make you the greatest man in all
the county of Flanders. ' * How can that
be, sir?' said Philip. *I shall shew you,'
said Peter ; * ye shall have the governing
and ministration of all them in the town of
1 ' Le soing,' * the charge.'
2 Mistranslated. It should be : 'And this Peter
du Bois had heard John Lyon his master,' etc.
Gaunf, for we be now in greal necessity to
have a sovereign captain of good nanie and
of Rood renown, and so by this means your
father Jaques d'Arleveld shall rise again
in this town liy the remembrance of you ;
for every man saith that silh his days
the country of Flanders hath not been so
loved, honoured nor feared as it was while
he lived ; and I shall lightly set you in his
stead, if ye list yourself : and when ye be in
that authority, then ye shall govern your-
self by my counsel, till ye have fiill under-
standmg of every case, the which ye shall
soon learn.' Then this Philip, who was
at man's state and naturally desired 1o be
advanced, honoured and to have more than
he had, answered and said ; ' Peter du
Hois, ye offer me a great thing and I believe
you : and if 1 were in the state that ye
spealt of, I swear lo you by my faith that
I should do nothing without your counsel.'
Then Peter answered and said : ' How say
you ? Can ye bear yourself high and be
cruel among the commons, and specially
in such things as we shall have to do? A
man is nothing worth without he be feared,
doubted and sometime renowned with
cruelty : thus must the Flemings be gov-
erned. A man must set no more by the
life of men, nor have no more pity thereof,
than of the lives of swallows or larks, the
which be taken in season to eat. ' ' By my
faith,' said Philip, 'all this can I do right
well.' 'That is well said,' quoth Peter,
' and I shall make you so, that ye shall be
sovereign above all other. ' And so there-
with he took leave of him and departed.
The night passed ; the next day came ;
then Fetei du Bois came into a place,
whereas there were assembled more than
four thousand of his sect and other, to hear
some tidings and to know how they should
be ordered and who should be chief captmn
of Gaunt ; and there was present the lord
of Herselle, after whom much of the busi-
ness within Gaunt was ordered, but of
going outward he would not meddle. And
so there among them there was named
divers persona of the town of Gaunt, and
Peter du Bois stood still and heard them
well ; and then he spake openly and said :
' Sirs, I believe well all this that ye say :
ye speak of good affection and by
deliberation of courage, that ye have to me
iping at the honour and profit of this
; and also such p
named be right able ani^ have well deserved
to have part of the governing of the town
of Gaunt. But, sirs, I know one that, if
he will meddle therewith, I think there
should not be a meeter man therefor, nor
of a better name. ' Then Peter was desired
to shew his name, and so he named him
and said; 'Sirs, it is Philip d'Arteveld,
who was christened at Saint Peter's in this
town of Gaunt by the noble queen of Eng-
land called Fhilippa, the same season that
Jaques d'Arteveld was before Toumay with
the king of England and the duke of Bra-
bant, the duke of Gueldres and the earl of
Hainaull, the which Jaques d'Arleveld
this Philip's father governed the town of
Gaunt and the country of Flanders so well,
that it was never so well ruled sith, as 1
have heard say and do hear daily of the
ancient men who had knowledge thereof,
who say the town was never so well kept
sith, as it was in his time : for Flanders
was in a great jeopardy to be lost, and by
his wisdom he recovered it. Sirs, know
for truth, we ought better to love the
branches and members that comelh from
so high a valiant man as he was, than of
any other.' And as soon as Feter du Bois
had said those words, Philip d'Arteveld
entered so into every man's courage, that
they said all with one voice : ' Let us have
him ; we will have none other : go send
for him.' 'Nay, not so,' quoth Peter du
better we went
yet how he will
Gist be examined.
t for:
CHAPTER CCCLXXX
And so with Peter du Bois' words all they
that were there and divers other that
followed them came to the house whereas
Philip d'Arteveld was, who knew right well
before their coming the matter. There was
the lord of Herselle, Peter du Bois, Peter
^^ecEnn
250
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
de Wintere and a ten or twelve of the chief
aldermen of the crafts ; ^ and there they
shewed to Philip d'Arteveld how the good
town of Gaunt was in great danger, without
they might have a captain and a sovereign,
who both without and within might order
all manner of people abiding in Gaunt.
"Wherefore they said they gave all their
voices to him and did choose him to be
their sovereign captain : for the good re-
nown of his name and for the love of his
good father they were better content with
him than with any other. Wherefore they
desired him affectuously that he would take
on him the charge, and they sware unto
him faith and truth as to their lord, pro-
mising how everybody within the town
should be under his obeisance. Philip
understood well all their words and re-
quests, and then right sagely he answered
and said : * Sirs, ye require me of a great
thing, and I think ye remember not well
how the case standeth, when ye would
that I should have the governing of the
town of Gaunt. Ye say how the love that
your predecessors had to my father draweth
you to this purpose : but for all the service
that my father did, yet at the last he was
slain among you ; and so if I should take
on me the governing, as ye speak of, and
then at last to be slam, then I should have
but a small reward.* * Philip,' quoth Peter
du Bois, * that is past cannot be recovered.
Work by counsel, and ye shall always be
so well counselled, that every man shall
praise you.' Then said Philip : * I would
be loath to do otherwise.* There he was
taken up among them and brought into
the market-place, and there they made to
him assurance, both mayors, aldermen and
masters of every craft in Gaunt. Thus
Philip was made chief captain in all Gaunt,
and thus at the beginning he was in great
grace ; for he spake sweetly to every man
that had anything to do with him, and
dealt so wisely, that every man loved him :
for part of the revenues that pertained to
the earl of Flanders in Gaunt as his heri-
tage he caused them to be distributed to
the lord of Herselle, because of gentle-
ness and the more honestly to maintain his
estate ; for all that ever he had in Flanders
~»5«-Hout the town of Gaunt he had lost it
I doyens des mestlers.
Now let us leave a little to speak of the
business of Flanders, and let us somewhat
speak of England and of Portugal.
SUMMARY. — The king of Portugal made
war on the newly-crowned king of Castile
on behalf of Constance and Isabel, daughters
of don Peter, and sent to England for help.
CHAPTER CCCLXXXI
How the earl of Cambridge departed out of
England to go into Portugal ; and how the
commons of England rebelled against the
noblemen.
SUMMAR v.— The earl of Cambridge went
to Portugal, while the duke of Lancaster
went to treat with the Scots.
The chapter then continues thus : —
In the mean season while this treaty was,
there fell in England great mischief and
rebellion of moving of the common people,
by which deed England was at a point to
have been lost without recovery. There
was never realm nor country in so great
adventure as it was in that time, and all
because of the ease and riches that the
common people were of, which moved them
to this rebellion, as sometime they did in
France, the which did much hurt, for by
such incidents the realm of France hath
been greatly grieved.
It was a marvellous thing and of poor
foundation that this mischief began in
England, and to give ensample to all
manner of people I will speak thereof as
it was done, as I was informed, and of the
incidents thereof. There was an usage in
England, and yet is in divers countries,
that the noblemen hath great franchise
over the commons and keepeth them in
servage, that is to say, their tenants ought
by custom to labour the lords' lands, to
gather and bring home their corns, and
some to thresh and to fan, and by servage
to make their hay and to hew their wood
and bring it home. All these things they
ought to do by servage, and there be more
of these people in England than in any
other realm. Thus the noblemen and pre-
lates are served by them, and specially in
the county of Kent, Essex, Sussex and
Bedford. These unhappy people of these
said countries began to stir, because they
said they were kept in great servage, and
in the beginning of the world, they said,
there were no bondmen, wherefore th^
maintained that none ought to be bond,
without he did treason to his lord, as Luci-
fer did to God ; but they said they could
have no such battle,' for they were neither
angels nor spirits, but men formed to the
similitude of their lords, saying why should
they then be kept so under like beasts ;
the which they said they would no longer
suffer, for they would be all one, and if
they laboured or did anything for their
lords, they would have wages therefor as
well as other. And of this imagination
was a foolish priest in the country of Kent
called John Ball, for the which foolish
words he had been three limes in the
bishop of Canterbury's prison ; for this
priest used oftentimes on the Sundays after
mass, when the people were going out of
the minster, to go into the cloister and
preach, and made the people to assemble
about him, and would say thus: 'Ab, ye
good people, the matters goeth not well
to pass in England, nor shall not do till
everything be common, and that there be
no villains nor gentlemen, but that we may
be all unied together, and that the lords be
no greater masters than we tie. What
have we deserved, or why should we be
kept thus in servage? We be all come
from one father and one mother, Adam and
Eve : whereby can they say or shew that
they be greater lords than we be, saving
by that th^ cause ns to win and labour for
that they dispend? Thei( are clothed in
velvet and camlet furred with grise, and we
be vestured with poor cloth : they have
their wines, spices and good bread, and we
have the drawing out of the chaff' and
drink water : they dwell in fair houses, and
we have the pain and travail, rain and wind
in the fields ; and by that that Cometh of
fiur labours they keep and maintain their
estates ; we be called their bondmen, and
without we do readily them service, we be
beaten ; and we have np sovereign to whom
we may complain, nor that will hear us nor
" ~ xt!s.'Mi- " ■ ■
'-■■-i^rc
Drfoui
It nature.' TTie
uillc'for'laiUt-
irait .t la failk'
do us right. Let ns go to the king, he is
young, and shew him what servage we be
in, and shew him how we will have it
otherwise, or else we will provide us of
some remedy ; and if we go together, all
manner of people that be now in any bond-
age will follow us to the intent to be made
free ( and when the king seeth us, we shall
have some remedy, either by fairness or
otherwise.' Thus John Ball said on Sun-
days, when the ^ple issued out of the
churches in the villages ; wherefore many
of the mean people loved him, and such as
intended to no goodness sold how he said
truth ; and so they would mnrmur one with
another in the fields and in the ways as
they went together, affirming how John
Ball said truth.
The archbishop of Canterbury, who was
informed of the saying of this John Ball,
caused him to be taken and put in prison a
two or three months to chastise him : how-
belt, it had been much better at the be-
ginning that he had been condemned to
perpetual prison or else to have died, rather
than to have suffered him to have been
again delivered out of prison ; but the
bishop had conscience to let him die. And
when this John Ball was out of prison, he
returned again to his error, as he did before.
Of his words and deeds there were much
people in London informed, such as had
great envy at them that were rich and such
as were noble ; and then they began to
speak among them and said how the realm
of England was right evil governed, and
how that gold and silver was taken from
them by them that were named noblemen :
so thus these unhappy men of London be-
gan to rebel and assembled them tMcther,
and sent word to the foresaid countries that
they should come to London and bring
their people with them, promising them
how they should find London open to
receive Ihem and the commons of the ci^
to be of the same accord, 5ayii;g how th^
would do so much to the Mng that there
should not be one bondman in all England.
This promise moved so them of Kent, of
Essex, of Sussex, of Bedford and of the
countries about, that they rose and came
towards London to the number of sixty
thousand. And they had a captain called
Water Tyler, and with him in companvwas
Jack Straw and John Ball : these th
252
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
chief sovereign captains, but the head of
all was Water Tyler, and he was indeed a
tiler of houses, an ungracious patron. When
these unhappy men began thus to stir, they
of London, except such as were of their
band, were greatly affrayed. Then the
mayor of London and the rich men of the
city took counsel together, and when they
saw the people thus coming on every side,
they caused the gates of the city to be closed
and would suffer no man to enter into the
city. But when they had well imagined,
they advised not so to do, for they thought
they should thereby put their suburbs in
great peril to be brent ; and so they opened
again the city, and there entered in at the
gates in some place a hundred, two hundred,
by twenty and by thirty, and so when they
came to London, they entered and lodged :
and yet of truth the third part^ of tbese
people could not tell what to ask or de-
mand, but followed each other like beasts,
as the shepherds^ did of old time, saying
how they would go conquer the Holy Land,
and at last all came to nothing. In like
wise these villains and poor people came to
London, a hundred mile off, sixty mile,
fifty mile, forty mile and twenty mile off,
and from all countries about London, but
the most part came from the countries be-
fore named, and as they came they de-
manded ever for the king. The gentlemen
of the countries, knights and squires, began
to doubt, when they saw the people began
to rebel ; and though they were in doubt,
it was good reason ; for a less occasion they
might have been affrayed. So the gentle-
men drew together as well as they might.
The same day that these unhappy people
of Kent were coming to London, there re-
turned from Canterbury the king's mother,
princess of Wales, coming from her pil-
grimage. She was in great jeopardy to
have been lost, for these people came to
her chare and dealt rudely with her, where-
of the good lady was in great doubt lest
they would have done some villany to her
or to her damosels. Howbeit, God kept
her, and she came in one day from Canter-
bury to London, for she never durst tarry
1 ' Bien les trois pars,' i.e. 'three-fourths.*
2 * Les pastoureaulx.' The reference no doubt is
to the Pastoureaux of 1320, who were destroyed at
Aigues-Mortes when attempting to obtain a passage
lo the Holy Land.
by the way. The same time king Richard
her son was at the Tower of London : there
his mother found him, and with him there
was the earl of Salisbury, the archbishop of
Canterbury, sir Robert of Namur, the lord
of Gommegnies and divers other, who were
in doubt of these people that thus gathered
together, and wist not what they demanded.
This rebellion was well known in the king's
court, or any of these people began to stir
out of their houses^ but the king nor his
council did provide no remedy therefor,
which was great marvel. And to the in-
tent that all lords and good people and
such as would nothing but good should
take ensample to correct them that be ev-il
and rebellious, I shall shew you plainly all
the matter, as it was.
CHAPTER CCCLXXXII
The evil deeds that these commons of Eng-
land did to the king's officers, and how
they sent a knight to speak with the king.
The Monday before the feast of Corpus
Christi the year of our Lord God a thousand
three hundred and eighty-one these people
issued out of their houses to come to Lon-
don to speak with the king to be made free,
for they would have had no bondman in
England. And so first they came to Saint
Thomas of Canterbury, and there John
Ball had thought to have found the bishop
of Canterbury, but he was at London with
the king. When Wat Tyler and Jack
Straw entered into Canterbury, all the
common people made great feast, for all
the town was of their assent ; and there
they took counsel to go to London to the
king, and to send some of their company
over the river of Thames into Essex, into
Sussex and into the counties of Stafford and
Bedford, to speak to the people that they
should all come to the farther side of Lon-
don and thereby to close London round
about, so that the king should not stop
their passages, and that they should all meet
together on Corpus Christi day. They that
were at Canterbury entered into Saint
Thomas' church and did there much hurt,
and robbed and brake up the bishop's
chamber, and in robbing and bearing out
their pillage they said : * Ah, this chancellor
THE COMMONS AT BLACKHEATH
253
□f England hath had a good market to get
ti^etLer alt ihi^ riches : he shall give us
now account of the revenues of England
and of the great profits that he hath
gathered sith Se king's coronation.' When
they had this Monday thus broken the
abbey of Saint Vincent, they departed in
the morning and all the people of Canter-
bury with them, and 30 toidc the way to
Rochester and sent > IJieir people to the
villages about. And in their going they
beat down and robbed houses of advocates
and procurers of the king's court und of the
archbishop, and had mercy of none,
when they were come to Rochester, they
had there good cheer ; for the people '
that town tarried for them, for they w
of the same sect, and then Ibey went to
castle there and took the knight that had
the rule thereofi he was called sir John
Newton, and they said to him: 'Sir, it
behoveth you to go with us and you shall
be our sovereign captain and to do that «
will have you.' Trie knight excused hir
self honestly and shewed them divers coi
siderations and excuses, but all availed hi
nothing, for they said unto him : 'Surjohn,
if ye do not as we will have you, ye are '
dead.' The knight, seeing these peopli
that fuiy and ready to slay hitn, he then
doubled death and agreed to them, and so
they took him with them against his inward
will ; and in like wise did Ibey of other
countries in England, as Essex, Sussex,
Stafford, Bedford and Warwick, even to
Lincoln ; for they brought the knights and
gentlemen into such obeisance, that they
caused them to go with them, whether they
would or not, as the lord Moylays, a great
baron, sir Stephen of Hales and sir Thomas
of Cosington and other.
Now behold the great fortune. If they
might have come to their intents, they
would have destroyed all the noblemen of
England, and thereafter all other nations
would have followed the same and have
taken foot and ensample by them and by
Ihem of Gaunt and Flanders, who rebelled
against their lord. The same year the
Parisians rebelled in like wise and found
out the mallets of iron, of whom there were
more than twenty thousand, as ye shall
hear after in this history ; but first we vdll
speak of them of England.
' people thus lodged nt
Rochester departed, and passed the river
and came to Brentford, alway keeping still
their opinions, beating down before them
and all about the places and houses of ad-
vocates and procurers, and striking off the
heads of divers persons. And so long Ihey
went forward [ill they came within a four
mile of London, and there lodged on b hill
cslled Blackheath ; and as they went, they
said ever they were the king's men and the
noble commons of England:' and when
they of London knew that they were come
so near to them, the mayor, as ye have
heard before, closed the gates and kept
straitly all the passages. This order caused
the mayor, who was called Nicholas Wal-
worth,* jind divers other rich burgesses of
the city, who were not of their sect ; but
there were in London of their unhappy
opinions more than thirty thousand.
Then these people thus being lodged on
Blackbeath determined to send their koighl
to speak with the king and to shew him
how all that they have done or will do is
for him and his honour, and how the realm
of England hath not been well governed
a great space for the honour of the realm
nor for the common profit by his uncles
and by the cletgy, and specially by the
archbishop of Canterbury his chancellor ;
whereof they would have account. This
knight durst do none otherwise, bat so
came by the river of Thames to the Tower.
The king and they that were with him in
the Tower, desiring to hear tidings, seeing
this knight coming made him way, and was
brought before the king into a chamber ;
and with the king was the princess his
mother and his two brethren, the earl of
Kent and the lord John Holland, the earl of
Salisbury, the earl of W'arivick, the earl of
Oxford, the archbishop of Canterbury, the
■ ' - Saint John's," sir Robert of Namur,
■ " Vertaing, the lord of Gom-
Ilenry of Senzeille, the mayor
of London and divers other notable bur-
gesses. This knight sir John Newton,
who was well known among them, for he
was one of the king's officers, he kneeled
down before the kir^ and said : ' My right
lord of Saint Johi
the lord of Ver
'Th;.! Ibey
■= for I
: kin)
^v tVI
254
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
redoubted lord, let it not displease your
grace the message that I must needs shew
you, for, dear sir, it is by force and against
my will.* * Sir John,* said the king, *say
what ye will : I hold you excused. * * Sir,
the commons of this your realm hath sent
me to you to desire you to come and speak
with them on Blackheath ; for they desire to
have none but you : and, sir, ye need not
to have any doubt of your person, for they
will do you no hurt ; for they hold and will
hold you for their king. But, sir, they say
they will shew you divers things, the which
shall be right necessary for you to take
heed of, when they speak with you ; of the
which things, sir, I have no charge to shew
you : but, sir, an it may please you to
give me an answer such as may appease
them and that they may know for truth that
I have spoken with you ; for they have my
children in hostage till I return again to
them, and without I return again, they will
slay my children incontinent.*
Then the king made him an answer and
said : * Sir, ye shall have an answer shortly. *
Then the king took counsel what was best
for him to do, and it was anon determined
that the next morning the king should go
down the river by water and without fail to
speak with them. And when sir John
Newton heard that answer, he desired
nothing else and so took his leave of the
king and of the lords and returned again
into his vessel, and passed the Thames and
went to Blackheath, where he had left
more than threescore thousand men. And
there he answered them that the next
morning they should send some of their
council to the Thames, and there the king
would come and speak with them. This
answer greatly pleased them, and so passed
that night as well as they might, and the
fourth part of them^ fasted for lack of
victual, for they had none, wherewith they
were sore displeased, which was good reason.
All this season the earl of Buckingham
was in Wales, for there he had fair heritages
by reason of his wife, who was daughter to
the earl of Northumberland and Hereford ;
but the voice was all through London how
he was among these people. And some
said certainly how they had seen him there
among them ; and all was because there
was one Thomas in their company, a man
' '" ' nuatre pars d'eux,' * four-fifths of them.'
of the county of Cambridge, that was very
like the earl. Also the lords that lay at
Plymouth to go into Portugal were well
informed of this rebellion and of the people
that thus began to rise ; wherefore they
doubted lest their viage should have been
broken, or else they feared lest the commons
about Hampton, Winchester and Arundel
would have come on them : wherefore they
weighed up their anchors and issued out of
the haven with great pain, for the wind was
sore against them, and so took the sea and
there cast anchor abiding, for the wind.
And the duke of Lancaster, who was in the
marches of Scotland between Moorlane
and Roxburgh entreating with the Scots,
where it was shewed him of the rebellion,
whereof he was in doubt, for he knew well
he was but little beloved with the commons
of England ; howbeit, for all those tidings,
yet he did sagely demean himself as touch-
ing the treaty with the Scots. The earl
Douglas, the earl of Moray, the earl of
Sutherland and the earl Thomas Versy, and
the Scots that were there for the treaty
knew right well the rebellion in England,
how the common people in every part began
to rebel against the noblemen ; wherefore
the Scots thought that England was in great
danger to be lost, and therefore in their
treaties they were the more stiffer again
the duke of Lancaster and his council.
Now let us speak of the commons of
England and how they persevered.
CHAPTER CCCLXXXni
How the commons of England entered into
London, and of the great evil that they
did, and of the death of the bishop of
Canterbury and divers other.
In the morning on Corpus Christi day
king Richard heard mass in the Tower of
Ix)ndon, and all his lords, and then he took
his barge with the earl of Salisbury, the
earl of Warwick, the earl of Oxford and
certain knights, and so rowed down along
the Thames to Rotherhithe, whereas was
descended down the hill a ten thousand
men to see the king and to speak with him.
And when they saw the king's barge com-
ing, they began to shout, and made such a
cry, as though all the devils of hell had
been among them. And they had brought
THE COMMONS IN LONDON
m
wilh them sir John Newton to the intent
thai, if the king haij not come, they wouid
hsve stricken him all 1o piereii, and so they
had promised him. And when the king and
his lords saw the demennour of the people,
thebesCassuredof them wereindread; and
so the king was counselled by his barons not
to lake any landing there, but so rowed up
and down the rirer. And the king de-
manded of them what they would, and said
how he was come thither to speak with
them, and they said all with one voice :
' We would that ye should come aland, and
then we shall shew you what we lack.'
Then the earl of Salisbury answered for the
king and said: 'Sirs, ye be not in such
Older nor array that the king ought to
speak with you.' And so with those words
no more said ; and then the king was
counselled to return again to the Tower of
London, and so he did.
And when these people saw that, they
were inflamed with ire and returned to the
hill where the great band was, and there
shewed them what answer they had and
how the king was returned to the Tower of
London. Then they cried all with one
voice, ' Let us go to Ijindon,' and so they
look their way thither ; and in their going
they beat down abbeys and houses of advo-
cates and of men of the court, and so came
into the suburbs of London, which were
great and fair, and there beat down divers
lair houses, and specially they brake up
the king's prisons, as the Marshalsea and
other, and delivered out all the prisoners
[hat were within : and there they did much
hart, and al the bridge foot they threat
them of London because the gates of the
bridge were closed, saying how they would
brenalt the suburbs and so conquer London
by force, and to slay and bren all the
commons of the dty. There were many
within the city of their accord, and so
ihey drew together and s;dd : ' Why do we
not let these good people enter into the
city? they are our fellows, and that that
they do is for us.' So therewith the gales
were opened, and then these people en-
tered into the city and went into houses
and sat down to eat and drink. They
deured nothing but it was incontinent
brought to them, for every man was ready
"o make them good cheer and to give them
It and tlruik to appease them.
Then the captains, as John Ball, Tack
Straw and Wat Tyler, went throughout
London and a twenty thousand with them,
and so came to the Savoy in the way to
Westminster, which was a goodly house
and it pertained to the duke of Lancaster.
And when they entered, they slew the
keepers thereof and robbed and pilled the
house, and when they had so done, then
they set fire on it and clean destroyed and
brent it. And when they had done that
outrage, they left not therewith, but went
strai^t to the fair hospital of the Rhodes
called Saint John's,^ and there they brent
house, hospital, minster and all Then they
went from street to street and slew all the
Flemings that they could iind in church or
in any other place, there was none respited
from death. And they brake up divers
houses of the Lombards and robbed them
and took their goods at their pleasure, for
there was none that durst say them nay.
And they slew in the city a rich merchant
called Richard Lyon, to whom before that
lime Wat Tyler had done service in France ;
and on a time this Richard Lyon had
beaten him, while he was his variet, the
which Wat Tyler then remembered, and so
came to his house and strake off his head
and caused it lo be borne on a spear-point
before him all about the city. Thus these
ungracious people demeaned themselves
like people enraged and wood, and so that
day they did much sorrow in London.
And so against night they went to lodge
at Saint Katherine's before the Tower of
London, saying how they would never de-
part thence rill they had the king at their
pleasure and rill he had accorded to them
all [they would ask, and] that they would
ask accounts of the t±ancellor of Englatid,
to know where all the good was become
that he had levied through the realm, and
without he made a good account lo them
thereof, it should not be for his profiL And
so when they had done all these evils to the
strangers all the day, at night they lodged
before the Tower.
Ye may well know and believe that it
was great pity for the danger that the king
ThU » c
^l^
mple, xo
A Ihcrcfn
would probably
nee ibe proponjr ^H
256
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
and such as were with him were in. For
some time these unhappy people shouted
and cried so loud, as though all the devils of
hell had been among them. In this evening
the king was counselled by his brethren
and lords and by sir Nicholas Walworth,
mayor of London, and divers other notable
and rich bui^esses, that in the night time
they should issue out of the Tower and
enter into the city, and so to slay all these
unhappy people, while they were at their
rest and asleep; for it was thought that
many of them were drunken, whereby they
should be slain like flies ; also of twenty of
them there was scant one in harness. And
surely the good men of London might well
have done this at their ease, for they had
in their houses secretly their friends and
servants ready in harness, and also sir
Robert Knolles was in his lodging keeping
his treasure with a sixscore ready at his
commandment ; in like wise was sir Perducas
d'Albret, who was as then in London, in-
somuch that there might well [have] as-
sembled together an eight thousand men
ready in harness. Howbeit, there was
nothing done, for the residue of the com-
mons of the city were sore doubted, lest
they should rise also, and the commons
before were a threescore thousand or more.
Then the earl of Salisbury and the wise
men about the king said : * Sir, if ye can
appease them with fairness, it were best
and most profitable, and to grant them
everything that they desire, for if we should
begin a thing the which we could not
achieve, we should never recover it again,
but we and our heirs ever to be disherited.'
So this counsel was taken and the mayor
countermanded, and so commanded that
he should not stir ; and he did as he was
commanded, as reason was. And in the
city with the mayor there were twelve alder-
men, whereof nine of them held with the
king and the other three took part with
these ungracious people, as it was after well
known, the which they full dearly bought.
And on the Friday in the morning the
people, being at Saint Katherine's near to
the Tower, began to apparel themselves
and to cry and shout, and said, without the
king would come out and speak with them,
they would assail the Tower and take it by
force, and slay all them that were within.
Jhen the king doubted these words and so
was counselled that he should issue out to
speak with them : and then the king sent
to them that they should all draw to a fair
plain place called Mile-end, whereas the
people of the city did sport them in the
summer season, and there the king to grant
them that they desired ; and there it was
cried in the king's name, that whosoever
would speak with the king let him go to
the said place, and there he should not fail
to find the king. Then the people began
to depart, specially the commons of the
villages, and went to the same place : but
all went not thither, for they were not all
of one condition ; for there were some that
desired nothing but riches and the utter
destruction of the noblemen and to have
London robbed and pilled ; that was the
principal matter of their beginning, the
which they well shewed ; for as soon as the
Tower gate opened and that the king was
issued out with his two brethren and the
earl of Salisbury, the earl of Warwick, the
earl of Oxford, sir Robert of Namur, the
lord of Vertaing, the lord Gommegnies and
divers other, then Wat Tyler, Jack Straw
and John Ball and more than four hundred
entered into the Tower and brake up
chamber after chamber, and at last found
the archbishop of Canterbury, called Simon,
a valiant man and a wise, and chief chan-
cellor of England, and a little before he
had said mass before the king. These
gluttons took him and strake off his head,
and also they beheaded the lord of Saint
John's and a friar minor, master in medicine,
pertaining to the duke of Lancaster, they
slew him in despite of his master, and a
sergeant at arms called John Leg ; and
these four heads were set on four long
spears and they made them to be borne
before them through the streets of London
and at last set them a -high on London
bridge, as though they had been traitors to
the king and to the realm. Also these glut-
tons entered into the princess' chamber and
brake her bed, whereby she was so sore
affrayed that she swooned ; and there she
was taken up and borne to the water side
and put into a barge and covered, and so
conveyed to a place called the Queen's
Wardrobe ; ^ and there she was all that
1 The Queen's Wardrobe was in the ' Royal '
(called by Froissart or his copyist ' la R^ole '), a
palace near }31ackfriars.
THE COMMONS IN LONDON
257
day and night like a woman half dead, till
she was comforted with ihe king her Eon,
as ye shall hear after.
B CHAPTER CCCLXXXIV
H^ew the nobles of Englaad were in great
peril to have been destroyed, and how
these rebels were piuiished and sent home
Wkbn llic king came to the said place of
Mile-end without London, he put out of
his company his two brethren, the earl of
Kent and Sir John Holland, and the lord
of Gomm^niEs, for they durst not appear
Ijefore the people : and when the king and
his other lords were there, he found there
a threescore thousand men of divers villages
and of sundry countries in England ; so the
king entered in among them and said to
them sweetly : ' Ah, ye good people, I am
your king: what lack ye? what will ye
say ? ' Then such as understood him said ;
'We will (hat ye make us free for ever,
ourselves, our heirs and our lands, and
that we be called no more bond not so
reputed.' 'Sirs,' said the king, ' I am well
agreed thereto. Withdraw you home into
your own houses and into such villages as
ye came from, and leave behind you of
every village two or three, and I shall
cause writings to be made and seal them
with my seal, the which th^ shall have
with ihera, eontainitig everything that ye
demand ; and to Ihe intent that ye shall be
the better assured, I shall cause my banners
lo be delivered into every bailiwick, shire
These words appeased well the common
people, such OS were simple and good plain
men, that were come thither and wist not
why. Theysaid,'It was well said, we desire
no better.' Thus these people b^an to be
appeased and began to withdraw tbem into
the city of London. And the king also
said a word, the which greatly contented
them. He said : ' Sirs, among you good
men of Kent ye shall have one of my ban-
ners with you, and ye of Essen another, and
ye of Sussex, of Bedford, of Cambridge, of
Yarmouth, of Stafford and of Lynn, each
of you one ; and also I pardon everything
thai ye have done hitherto, so that ye
. jolloff my banners and return home to
your houses.' They all answered how they
would so do : thus these people dejiarted
and went into London. Then the king
ordained more than thirty clerks the same
Friday, lo write with all diligence letter
patents nnd sealed with the king's seal, and
delivered tliem to these people ; and when
they had received the writing, they departed
and returned into their own countries ; but
the great venom remained atill behind, for
Wat Tyler, Jack Straw and John Ball
said, for all that these people were thus
appeased, yet they would not depart so,
and they had of theit accord more than
thirty thousand. So they abode still and
made no press lo have the king's writing
nor seal, for all their intents was to put the
city to trouble iti such wise as to slay all
the rich and honest persons and to rob and
pill their houses. They of London were
m eteat fear of this, wheiefore they kepi
their houses privily with [heir friends and
such servants as they had, every man ac-
cording to his puissance. And when these
said people were this Friday thus somewhat
appeased, and that Ibey should depart as
soon as they had their writings, every man
home into his own country, then king
Richard came into the Royal, where the
queen his mother was, right sore affrayed :
so he comforted her as well as he could and
tarried there with her all that night.
Yet I shall shew you of an adventure
that fell by these ungracious people before
the city of Norwich, by a captain among
them called GuiUiam Lister of StalTord.
The same day of Corpus Christi that these
people entered into London and brent the
duke of Lancaster's house, called the Savoy,
and the hospital of Saint John's and brake
up the kings prisons and did all this hurt,
as ye have heard before, tbe same lime
there assembled together they of Stafford,
of Lynn, of Cambridge, of Bedford and of
Yarmoulb ; and as they were coming to-
wards London, they had a captain among
them caUed Lister. And as they came,
they rested them before Norwich, and in
their coming they caused even? man lo rise
with them, so that they lelt no villains
behind them. The cause why they rested
before Norwich I shall shew yon. There
was a knight, captain of the town, called sir
Robert Sale. He was no gentleman bom,
but he had the grace to be reputed sage and
258
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
valiant in arms, and for his valiantness king
Edward made him knight. He was of his
body one of the biggest knights in all
England. Lister and his company thought
to have had this knight with them and to
make him their chief captain, to the intent
to be the more feared and beloved : so
they sent to him that he should come and
speak with them in the field, or else they
would bren the town. The knight con-
sidered that it was better for him to go and
speak with them rather than they should
do that outrage to the town : then he
mounted on his horse and issued out of the
town all alone, and so came to speak with
them. And when they saw him, they made
him great cheer and honoured him much,
desiring him to alight off his horse and to
speak with them, and so he did : wherein
he did great folly ; for when he was alighted,
they came round about him and began to
speak fair to him and said : ' Sir Robert,
ye are a knight and a man greatly beloved
in this country and renowned a valiant
man ; and though ye be thus, yet we know
you well, ye be no gentleman born, but
son to a villain such as we be. Therefore
come you with us and be our master, and
we shall make you so great a lord, that one
quarter of England shall be under your
obeisance.' When the knight heard them
speak thus, it was greatly contrarious to his
mind, for he thought never to make any
such bargain, and answered them with a
felonous regard : * Fly away, ye ungracious
people, false and evil traitors that ye be :
would you that I should forsake my natural
lord for such a company of knaves as ye be,
to my dishonour for ever? I had rather
ye were all hanged, as ye shall be ; for
that shall be your end.* And with those
words h6 had thought to have leapt again
upon his horse, but he failed of the stirrup
and the horse started away. Then they
cried all at him and said : * Slay him with-
out mercy.' When he heard those words,
he let his horse go and drew out a good
sword and began to scrimmish with them,
and made a great place about him, that it
was pleasure to behold him. There was
none that durst approach near him : there
were some that approached near him, but
at every stroke that he gave he cut off
other leg, head or arm : there was none
so hardy but that they feared him : he did
there such deeds of arms that it was marvel
to regard. But there were more than forty
thousand of these unhappy people : they
shot and cast at him, and he was unarmed :
to say truth, if he had been of iron or steel,
yet he must needs have been slain ; but
yet, or he died, he slew twelve out of hand,
beside them that he hurt. Finally he was
stricken to the earth, and they cut off his
arms and legs and then strake his body all
to pieces. This was the end of sir Robert
Sale, which was great damage ; for which
deed afterward all the knights and squires
of England were angry and sore displeased
when they heard thereof.
Now let us return to the king. The
Saturday the king departed from the Ward-
robe in the Royal and went to Westminster
and heard mass in the church there, and
all his lords with him. And beside the
church there was a little chapel with an
image of our Lady, which did great miracles
and in whom the kings of England had
ever great trust and confidence. The king
made his orisons before this image and did
there his offering ; and then he leapt on his
horse, and all his lords, and so the king
rode toward London ; and when he had
ridden a little way, on the left hand there
was a way to pass without London.^
The same proper morning Wat Tyler,
Jack Straw and John Ball had assembled
their company to common together in a
place called Smithfield, whereas every
Friday there is a market of horses ; and
there were together all of affinity more than
twenty thousand, and yet there were many
still in the town, drinking and making
merry in the taverns and paid nothing, for
they were happy that made them best cheer.
And these people in Smithfield had with
them the kmg's banners, the which were
delivered them the day before, and all
these gluttons were in mind to overrun and
to rob London the same day ; for their
captains said how they had done nothing as
yet. 'These liberties that the king hath
tjiven us is to us but a small profit : there-
fore let us be all of one accord and let us
overrun this rich and puissant city, or they
of Essex, of Sussex, of Cambridge, of Bed-
ford, of Arundel, of Warwick, of Reading,
of Oxford, of Guildford, of Lynn, of Staf-
1 Or rather, ' he found a place on the left hand
to pass without London.'
DEATH OF WAT TYLEK {June 15)
ford, of Yamioulh, of Lincoln, of York
and of Durham do come hilher. For all
these will come hilber ; Bxker ^nd IJatcr
will bring them hither ; ajid if we be lirst
lords of London and have the possession of
the riches that is therein, we shall not
leptent us ; fut if we leave it, they that
come after will have it from us.'
To this counsel they aJl agreed ; and
therewith the king came the same way
unwate of ihem, for he had thought to
have passed that way without London, and
with him a forty horse. And when he
came before the abbey of Saint Bartholo-
mew and beheld all these people, then the
king rested and said how he would go no
farther till he knew what these people
aileil, saying, if they were in any trouble,
how he would tappease them again. The
lords that were with him tarried also, a^
reason was when they saw the king tarry.
And when Wat Tyler saw the king tarry,
he aaid to his people : * Sirs, yonder is the
king ; I will go and speak with him. Stir
not from hence, without 1 make you a sign ;
and when I make you that sign, come on
and slay all them except the king ; but do
the king no hurt, he is young, we shall do
with him as we list and shalllead him
us all about England, and so shall we be
lords of all the realm without doubL' And
there was a doublet-maker of London
called John Tycle, and he had brought to
these gluttons a ^xty doublets, the which
they ware r then he demanded of these
captains who should pay him for
doublets ; he demanded thirty mark. Wat
Tyler answered him and said : ' Friend,
appease youiself, thou shalt be well paid
or this day be ended. Keep thee near me ;
I shall be thy creditor.' And therewith he
spurred his horse and departed from his
i:ompaQy and came to the king, so —
him that his horse head touched the c
of the king's horse, and the first word
he said was this : ' Sir king, seest thou all
yonder people P' 'Yea truly,' said the
king, 'wherefore sayest thou? 'Beca
said he, 'they be all at my commandment
and have sworn to me faith and truth,
do all that I will have them.' ' In a good
lime,' said the king, ' I will well it lie so.'
Then Wat Tyler said, as he that nothing
demanded but tiot : 'What believest the
kii^ that these people and as many mc
as be in London at my commandment,
that they will depart from thee thus with-
out having thy letters?' 'No,' said the
king, 'ye shall have them: they be or-
dained for you and shall be delivered every
one each after other. Wherefore, good
fellows, withdraw fair and easily to your
people and cause them to depart out of
London ; for it is our intent that each of
you by villages and townships shall have
letters patents, as I have promised you.'
With those words Wat Tyler cast his
eyen on a squire that was there with the
king bearing the king's sword, and Wat
Tyler hated greatly the same squire, for
the same squire had displeased him before
for words between them. ' What," said
Tyler, "art thou there? Give mc thy
da^er.' 'Nay,' said the squire, 'that
will I not do ; wherefore should I give it
thee?' The king beheld the squire and
said: 'Give it him; let him have it.' And
so the squire took it him sore against his
will. And when this Wat Tyler lad i(, he
began to play therewith and turned it in
his hand, and said again to the squne :
'Give roe also that sword.' 'Nay, said
the squire, ' it is the king's sword : thou
art not worthy to have it, for thou art but
a knave ; and if there were no more here
but thou and I, thou duret not speak those
words for as much gold in quantity as all
yonder abbey.' ' ' liy my faith,' said Wat
Tyler, 'I shall never eat meat till I have
thy head ' r and wdlh those words the
mayor of London came to the king with a
twelve horses Well armed under their coats,
and so he brake the press and saw and
heard how Wat Tyler demeaned himself,
and said lo him : ' Ha, thou knave, how
art thou so hardy in the king's presence to
speak such words? It is too much for
thee so to do.' Then the king began to
cliafe and said lo the mayor : ' Set hands
on him.' And while the king said so,
Tyler said lo the mayor ; 'A God's name
what have I said to displease thee?' ' Ye»
truly,' quoth the mayor, 'thou false stinkii^
knave, sbalt thou speak thus in the prcs-
eoce of the king my natural lord ? I com-
mit never to live, without Ihou sbalt dearly
al^e it.'' And with those words the
1 The full lexl bos, 'for as much geld u Ihu
1^
26o
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
mayor drew out his sword and strake Tyler
so great a stroke on the head, that he fell
down at the feet of his horse, and as soon
as he was fallen, they environed him all
about, whereby he was not seen of his
company. Then a squire of the king's
alighted, called John Standish, and he drew
out his sword and put it into Wat Tyler's
belly, and so he died.
Then the ungracious people there as-
sembled, perceiving their captain slain,
began to murmur among themselves and
said : * Ah, our captain is slain, let us go
and slay them all * : and therewith they
arranged themselves on the place in
manner of battle, and their bows before
them. Thus the king began a great out-
rage ; ^ howbeit, all turned to the best : for
as soon as Tyler was on the earth, the
king departed from all his company and all
alone he rode to these people, and said to
his own men : * Sirs, none of you follow
me ; let me alone.* And so when he came
before these ungracious people, who put
themselves in ordinance to revenge their
captain, then the king said to them : ' Sirs,
what aileth you ? Ye shall have no captain
but me : I am your king : be all in rest
and peace.* And so the most part of the
people that heard the king speak and saw
him among them, were shamefast and began
to wax peaceable and to depart ; but some,
such as were malicious and evil, would not
depart, but made semblant as though they
would do somewhat.
Then the king returned to his own com-
pany and demanded of them what was best
to be done. Then he was counselled to draw
into the field, for to fly away was no boot.
Then said the mayor : * It is good that we
do so, for I think surely we shall have shortly
some comfort of them of London and of such
good men as be of our part, who are pur-
veyed and have their friends and men
ready armed in their houses.' And in the
mean time voice and bruit ran through
London how these unhappy people were
likely to slay the king and the mayor in
Smith field ; through the which noise all
manner of good men of the king's party
issued out of their houses and lodgings
well armed, and so came all to Smithfield
1 'Outrage' here means 'act of boldness,* as
elsewhere, e.g. 'si fist une grant apertise d'armes
et un grant outrage.'
and to the field where the king was, and
they were anon to the number of seven or
eight thousand men well armed. And
first thither came sir Robert Knolles and
sir Perducas d'Albret, well accompanied,
and divers of the aldermen of London, and
with them a six hundred men in harness,
and a puissant man of the city, who was
the king's draper,^ called Nicholas Bramber,
and he brought with him a great company ;
and ever as they came, they ranged them
afoot in order of battle : and on the
other part these unhappy people were
ready ranged, making semblance to give
battle, and they had with them divers of
the king's banners. There the king made
three knights, the one the mayor of Lon-
don sir Nicholas Walworth, sir John
Standish and sir Nicholas Bramber. Then
the lords said among themselves : ' What
shall we do ? We see here our enemies,
who would gladly slay us, if they might
have the better hand of us.' Sir Robert
Knolles counselled to go and fight with
them and slay them all ; yet the king
would not consent thereto, but said : * Nay,
I will not so : I will send to them com-
manding them to send me again my
banners, and thereby we shall see what
they will do. Howbeit, other by fairness
or otherwise, I will have them.' *That is
well said, sir,' quoth the earl of Salisbury.
Then these new knights were sent to them,
and these knights made token to them not
to shoot at them, and when they came so
near them that their speech might be heard,
they said : * Sirs, the king commandeth
you to send to him again his banners, and
we think he will have mercy of you. * And
incontinent they delivered again the
banners and sent them to the king. Also
they were commanded on pain of their
heads, that all such as had letters of the
king to bring them forth and to send them
again to the king ; and so many of them
delivered their letters, but not all. Then
the king made them to be all to-torn in
their presence ; and as soon as the king's
banners were delivered again, these un-
happy people kept none array, but the
most part of them did cast down their bows,
and so brake their array and returned into
1 'Qui estoit des draps du roy.» He owned
large estates in Essex and also shops in Ixjndon.
He became one of the councillors of Richard II.
PUNISHMENT OF THE REBELS
London. Sir Kobert Knolles was sore
displeased in that he might not go to sla.y
them all : but the king woulii not consent
thereto, but said he would be revenged of
them well enough ; and so he was alter.
Thus these foolish people departed, some
one way and some another ; and the king
joy. And the first joatney that the king
made he went to the lady princess his
mother, who was in a castle in the Royal
called the Queen's Wardrobe, and there
she had tarried two days and two nights
right sore abashed, as she had good reason ;
and when she saw the Icing hei son, she
was greatly rejoiced and said i 'Ah, fair
son, what pain and great sorrow that I
have suffered for you this day I ' Then the
king answered and said : ' Certainly,
madam, I know it well ; but now rejoice
yonrself and thank God, for now it is time.
I have this day recovered mine heritage
and the realm of England, the which 1 had
near losL' Thus the king tanied that day
with his mother, and every lord went peace-
ably lo their own lodgings. Then there
was a cry made in every street in the king's
name, that all manner of men, not being of
the city of London and have not dwell
there the space of one year, to depart ; and
if any such be found there the Sunday by
thef '--'— '•--' ■'----'--'' >-- —
This cry thus made, thi
durst brake it, and so all manner of people
departed and sparkled abroad every man
lo their own places. John Ball and Jack
Straw were found in an old house hidden,
thinking to have stolen away, hut they
could not, for they were accused by their
own men. Of the taking of them the king
and bis lords were glad, and then slrake off
their heads and Wat Tyler's also, and they
were set on London bridge, and the
valiant men's heads taken down that they
had set on the Thursday before. These
tidings anon spread abroad, so that the
people of the strange countries, which were
coming towards London, relumed back
again to their own houses and durst come
no farther.
CHAPTER CCCLXXXV
How the duke of Lancaster kept himself still
in Scotland for fear of this rebeUion, and
how the king punished of these traitors the
chief masters.
SUMMARY. — The dukt of Lancaster
cottihukd the treaty •with the Slots and re-
turned. On kis may ht was refused ad-
mitlance to the town of Berwick, and
hearing bad tuTvi of the rebellion, returned
into Sielland to wail til! better tidings eame.
He -was singvlarfy hated by the rebels, mho
spread abroad that he ■bnss a traitor to the
The chapter continues thus ;—
Now I shall shew you the vengeance that
the king of England took of these un-
gracious people in the mean season, while
the duke of Lancasler was in Scotland.
When these people were rappeased and
that Baker was executed lo death, and
Lister of Stafford,' Wat Tyler, Jack Straw,
John Ball and divers other at London, then
the king was counselled lo go visit his
tealm, through every shire, bailiwick and
village, to purge and punish all llie said
evil-doers, and to get again all such letters
as by force he had given them in divers
places, and so to bring again his realm in
good order. Then the king sent secretly
^r a certain numlier of men of arms to
come to him at a day appointed, and so
they did to the number of a five hundred
spears and as many archers ; and when they
were all come as the king had devised, the
king departed from London with his house-
hold-men all only and look the way into
Kent, whereas first these ungracious people
began tostir! and these foresaid menof war
followed after the king and coasted him, but
tbey rode not in bis company. The king
entered into Kent and came lo a village
called Ospringe, and called the mayor and
all tbe men of the lown before him. And
when tbey were all come into a fair place,
the king made to be shewed ihem by one
of bis council bow Ihey had erred against
Ihe king, and how they had near turned all
England lo tribulation and to loss. And
because Ihnt the king knew well that this
1 The Inlc reading is ' at Stafford.'
262
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
business was begun by some of them
and not by all, wherefore it were better
that some did bear the blame than all,
therefore he commanded them that they
should shew what they were that were
culpable, on pain to be for ever in the
king's indignation and to be reputed as
traitors against him. And when they that
were there assembled heard that request and
saw well that such as were culpable should
excuse all the other, then they beheld each
other and at last said : ' Sir, behold him
here by whom this town was first moved.'
Incontinent he was taken and hanged, and
so there were hanged to the number of
seven ; and the letters that the king had
given them were demanded again, and so
they were delivered again, and torn and
broken before all the people. And it was
said to them all : * Sirs, ye that be here
assembled, we command you in the king's
name on pain of death every man to go
home to his own house peaceably, and
never to grudge nor rise against the king
nor none of his officers ; and this trespass
that ye have done the king doth pardon
you thereof.* Then they cried all with one
voice : * Gad thank the king's grace and
all his council ! '
In like manner as the king did at Os-
pringe," he did at Canterbury, at Sandwich,
at Yarmouth, at Orwell and in other places
in Kent : ^ in like wise he did in all other
places of his realm, whereas any rebellion
had been ; and there were hanged and
beheaded more than fifteen hundred. Then
the king was counselled to send for his
uncle the duke of Lancaster out of Scot-
land : so the king sent for him by a knight
of his house called sir Nicholas Camefell.
The knight rode so long that he came to
Edinbro', and there he found the duke and
his company and delivered his letters of
credence from the king. The duke obeyed,
as it was reason, and also gladly he would
return into England to his own heritage, and
so took his way to come to Roxburgh ; and
at his departing he thanked the lords of
Scotland of the comfort that they had done to
him, as in sustaining him in their realm as
1 ' In Kent ' is added by the translator, who
knows even less about the geography than Froissart.
This is due partly to the corruption of the names,
for *»«» writes * Germeney * and ' ConeuUe * for
-nd Orwell.
long as it pleased him. The earl Douglas,
the earl Moray and other of Scotland
brought him to the abbey of Melrose.
Thus the duke came to Roxburgh and to
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and so to Durham
and to York, and in every place he found
cities and towns ready apparelled, as it was
reason.
And the same season there died in London
a knight called sir Guichard d'Angle, earl
of Huntingdon and master to the king. He
was reverently buried in the Friars preachers
in London. And on the day of his obsequy
there was the king, his two brethren, the
princess his mother and a great number of
prelates, barons and ladies of England, and
there did him great honour. And truly
this gentle knight was well worthy to have
honour; for in his time he had all noble
virtues that a knight ought to have. He
was merry, true, amorous, sage, secret,
large, prewe, hardy, adventurous and chiv-
alrous. Thus ended this gentle knight sir
Guichard d'Angle.
CHAPTER CCCLXXXVI
The evil will that the duke of Lancaster con-
ceived in his courage for the refuse that
was made him at Berwick : and how the
earl of Cambridge arrived in Portugal.
SUMMARY,— The duke of Lancaster had
words with the earl of Northumberland^
because he was refused cuimission to Berwick y
but the king and other lords made peace
between them.
The earl of Cambridge with his fleet ar-
rived at Lisbon after sujfering great peril
on the sea,
Philip cPArteveldmade himself feared and
beloved in Ghent. The earl of Flanders laid
siege to Ghent, but finally ^ the young lord
d^Enghien being slain by an ambush^ he
raised the siege and returned to Bruges.
A council was held at Harlebecque, to
which tzvelve notables of Ghent were sent,
to make peace with the earl, and certain
terms were privately agreed to.
DEATH OF GRVTERE AND BETTE. 1382
CHAPTER CCCLXXXVII
fby Peler du Bois and by Philip d'Arleveld.
And of the rebellion at Paris against Uie
French king.
It is said moat commonly, ' If it be as he
dolh, it is as he saith. ' ' Peler du Bois, who
thought himself not well assured of his life
and had his spies about to hear every new
tidings ; and such as had been at this said
treaty had reported in the town how that
this treaty was brought about by Gilbert
Grutere and Simon Bette. And when
Peter dn Bois understood it, he was mad
in his mind therefor, and took the matter to
himself and said : ' If any be corrected for
this war, yet 1 shall not be the first, for
the matter shall not go all as they ween.
Shall they that have been at this treaty rule
eveijlhing as they list? Mayhap nay 5 I
purpose not yet to die : I think the war
hath not endured so long as it shall do : as
yet such as were my good masters, John
Lyon and William Crafibit, their deaths is
not yet well revenged. If the matters be
now in trouble, yet I will bring them into
more trouble. ' And so he did : I shall shew
The same proper evening that the coun-
cil should have been the next day in the
council-hall, there to hear reported the
treaty that was taken at Harlebecque, Peter
du Bois came the same evening to Philip
d'Arteveld's house and found him in his
chamber, lying in a window musing and
studying. And the first word he spake he
said : ' Philip d'Arteveld, hear you any
tidings?' 'Nay truly,' quoth he, ' but thi
I hear say our men are relumed from the
council at Harlebecque, and to-morrow
shall hear in the hall what tidings they hi
brought.' ' That is true,' quoth Peter, '1
I know already what ways they have taken
and purpose to take ; for such as have been
there hath shewed it lo some of my fiicnds.
Certainly, Philip, the treaty that Ihejr have
made and would make lielb on the jeopardy
of onr heads ; for if there be peace taken
between the earl and this town, know for
truth that you and I and the lord of
selves free, and this was ever the opinion
of John Lyon my master. Always the earl
hath these marmosets about him, as Gilbert
Mahew and his brethren and the provost of
Harlebecque, who is of the lineage of the
alderman of the mean crafts,' who fled away
with them. We ought wisely lo look o
I do, Chen
fs'
do.' Philip answered and s[
shall shew you my mind. Let us give
knowledge of this to all our aldermen and
captains, that Ihey be to-morrow all ready
apparelled in the market-place, and then
let us two enter into Ihe hall with a hun-
dred with us, to hear the content of the
treaty ; and then let me alone, so ye will
avow my deed and abide puissanlly by me :
for without we be feared among the com-
mons, it is nothing.' And so they agreed.
Then Peter du Bois departed and sent to
all rulers and caplauis under him, com-
manding them and all their men to be
ready in the morning in the market-place
to hear tidings. TTicy all obeyed, they
durst do none otherwise, and also Ihey were
ever ready lo do evil.
The next morning about the honrof nine
the mayor and aldermen and rich men of
the town came into the market-place and
entered into the hall, and thilher came
they that had been at the treaty at Harle-
becque. Then thither came Peler du Bois
and Philip d'Arteveld and such oflheirsect,
well accompanied. And when they were
all assembled and set, such as would sit,
then Ihe lord of Ilerselle was missed, for
he was not there ; and so he was sent for,
but he excused himself, because he was
sick and not well at case. ' Say what ye
will,' quoth Peter du Bois, ' for I am here in
his stead : here be enow ; let us hear what
they will say that hath been at Harlebecque, '
Then there rose up two of thenotablest men
of the company. Gilbert Grutere and Simon
Bette, and one of them said ; ' Lords of
Gaunt, we have been at the parliament nl
Harlebecque and have had much pain
and travail, and also so had Ihe good men
of Brabant, of Liege and of Hainault, lo
I 'And Ihc provnst of Harlebecque. whn » of
^v*
. . .\'.\ • . >: /r FKO/SSA^r
uii\% i.N^'ixi r< I I,. i^> < ..«%^x.i ■«.■ vio,' «;:h them of Gaunt, and nov aid
!,.i.l .'u ,.u . I '. . i ^ • ' • v'l iv :>i5 time they have wroogfa: Wisely;
t iin \ ». ;'i < . . » » '• '• ■; •■ '.>*•.**. :he)' know that they sbaii awsr
».i i„\ 1 . :% .. I.I I w • I . u» •.»••,' .vJL.>f a^^ain with me, bat I will hive
U. I , ... ■. ii I.I I .'i .'.. % \ . . I ^. •v.i: a: my j^leasure.* _ I
,., lUi- '.V I'l .. m. »■'. *■ .,•' •■ -■«•' -. *-'*Js :h*re was slain in the town « |
\, till II I ..oil . I .- I > II -.< i^^i« ^ .. .. .1. s'.i . '. '. ''-.fsir two valiant men, rich laJ
wn'i ..III ! 1.1 I'l 1.1 '!» ' . ♦.. >.»,»v." "."vry might each of them spend of \
u^.. ii.iii ti. I III .1 ■■■ .•..14, .. I .. 'k • ^« v-i .^vb" ra:rimony two thousand tRsks
. ,1 1 II, I'l. .1 It I. II. I III v\-. -I,.. M : I -: «v I '■. T^r«:y were sore bemoaned privihr,
iiii .1 .\xy. \\, iiiii.i I. >ii .'k:ii ■ ■ 'v -«.. x-i'c .'.'^»: speak of them openhr.
. ii' ,.ii ...» »i I .i:.. . 1. 1 -^ '•>..> ". V wir was more fiercer than
i.. I I. t mi I-'. .1 .iv. ':. . ..' Kx : H 1.-S V '.'c-,* : for they of the garrisoos
.1.1 1 . II .M. , i!iii II II .>• .^- . -\ «. -^'.i .-": w;*re night and oaj busy
li. Hill ii iw lit. i.\ ..It .'i. Ill \\ ■ I >.-.^ •' x.--,« .1.! vrov^ion coming to Gannt, so
tt .1.1 . I'l 1. 1 .Ui lii.i. ... ,. I- .1 I . ^i . \. *v. ■ :*■ *:'n':'an: nor of Hainanlt dmst
t.iii. II I .int. I. , s .i\ .;i:- .. \.- . •» ..* -«*-. %. L- '■ ■.--::'!:•.::.' brir^ anything to Gaunt;
1-. mil. .11. It I. I,. Ill :i. t. -..> ... ««.' I . K' j.l:-'> r.:en met any victualkiSi
iiiiii u»..i .1 ..III 111. II.. I v.i-i-i ■■ «' 1. ^-^k : .Kv vki;i:'v*. >!ar :heir horses and briii^
-.1 .III . II. lilt ill ..n.f i%*«i:\. ; '.i . 1.: : » 'v .: ' 'i '>;.'i'c?^ ir.io Oudcnardc or Ter-
.Ji ill. i.iiiii .•! \.\'i. ' '. u^... '«. ^. . .. ^ <v* *.:: .ill Tictuallers feared the
i . mill It • I • I III II. li 11 ■ > ,1 . IV 'M ! l.i : U ^ s'> v.% ■ *v.( '.Vi.
i .iiiiiii jti. ml. i Ii t\ « .1-. 'l . t i >l«\l- •) l> >* :'■•> v%,'
I i.t.i n ,1. ..'i.ft.. ..: V W. t.-i ^, ". '* ' '" -">*■■ --."•fw^/w 0/ Paris
i.ii. I1..11.1 ti.ii iiitx w»:: \ ..-« M vv'x'.i « ••'• '^-^-fy'tfprtsoHsatid
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.il. Ill I.. \. \iw ,.».w.: .. * •• /--ri^^.V j-^rVJJrfM^/W.
|..iii.:.il II. 'Nt ■ .Il II \k\' \\ I ' s.1>\'.'>^' *'» ^'». '
41 1 1 » *ii (i.iili. 1'm-!-j« ." V' .x'^vi^'., "*»k
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tit.i\. Iiiiit iiii.» -Jk' *viv. i -v- X,' '■•».' «. . .;,- • . ■■ i :.. ; :. ■■ -^ \\£~!vJ zi^ skonU
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• ■■« ■!.■• -»^ * * • ■■- -• ■■•.^>A *"i_"7 ■'"i '"•
'...■«" . .'-:■ ". ".r. . -si- i ' w '. ic .'"rSir--" .1 '•-'■'
, ... ._^ - '-ri ■m- " ''"^zl'i j^-^-'wH" ■ 1J.V-:
CHAPTER CCCXCVI
Of Ihc great necessily of vicluals that they
of Gaunt endured, and how they were
succoured by them of Liege.
All the season after the destruction and
brcnning of the town of Grainmont and of
the raising of the siege of Gaunt because
of the displeasure that the earl of Flanders
had for the death of his cousin the young
lordd'Enghien, slain by the ambushment of
the Gauntois, as ye-have heard herebelbre,
the knights and squires nor good towns
made no war to them of Gaunt but by garri-
Bons ; so that all the country held with the
earl against Gaunt except the Four Mestiers,
and so by them some victual came into
Gaunt, and some victual came into Gaunt
out of the county of Alost ; but the earl of
Flanders, as soon as he knew that, he found
remedy ; for incontinent he sent to the
garrison of Termonde commanding them
to OTcmin and to bren all the plain country
of the county of AIosl, which was done at
his commandment, so that the poor folks
with their beasts were fain to fly away into
Brabant and into HainauU, and the most
part to gn a-b^ging. Yet there was a
coimtry pertaining to the Four Mestiers,'
IVom whom there came ever some aid or
victual into Gaunt. Thus all this winter
the earl and they of Flanders constrained
so sore them of Gaunt, that they could
have nothing come to them nother by land
nor by water. The earl had so won his
cousins, the duke of Brabant and duke
Aubert, that their countries were kept close
against them of Gaunt, so that nothing
came to them from thence, without it were
by stealth and by great adventure and peril
for them that did it. The sage men said
how it could not long endure, but that they
must die for famine ; for all their gamers
were void and the people could get no
bread fot no money, and when any bread
was baken in the town, they were fain to
taken it by force. It was great pity to see
and to hear the poor people, both men,
women and children, yea, such as were
right notable fell in this danger, and every
day increased the complaints, weepings and
cries made lo Philip d'Arteveld their sove-
reign captain, who had of them great pity
and compassion and made many good
orders, whereof he was greatly praised :
for he caused the earners of the abbeys to
be opened, and ofiich men, and set a rea-
sonable price of the corn, whereby the
town was greatly comforted. And some
corn there came to them by stealth out
of Holland and Zealand, and tuns full of
flour and biscuit bread, the which greatly
comforted them ; for they had been long
discomfited before, if they had not been
comforted by these said countries. It was
defended in all Brabant by the duke that
on pain of death they should carry anything
lo Gaunt, but if they of Gaunt would jeopard
to fetch any, then they might give them or
sell to them at their pleasure.
And when the time of Lent came, then
were they in great distress, for they had no
lenten stuff Then there departed out of
the town a twelve thousand of soldiers and
such as had nothing to live by but were
overcome with famine, and so they came
to the town of Brussels. The town closed
their gates against them, for they feared
them, they knew not their thoughts.
When they were near (o Brussels, they sent
a certain of their company unarmed to the
gate of the town, and there they desired
mem of the town for God's sake to have
pity of them, as to suiTer them to have
victual for their money, saying how they
died for hunger, and sware how they
thought none evil to them nor to the country
about. The good men of Brussels had pity
on them and brought them victual for their
money, and so they passed their lime about
in the country the space of three weeks,
but they could enter into no good town ;
and so they came to Louvain, who had pity
on them and did them much good and re-
freshing : their captain and leader was
Francis Ackerman, he made the treaties for
them with the good towns.
And in this season, while they of Gaunt
lay in the marches of Louvain, their captain
spate with the masters of the city of Liege,
and they had compassion on them and so
had the bishop of Liege, sir Arnold d' Arc ie,'
I Jf>hn d'Arckel biabop i^ iMop died m 1378,
bUhop
I this I
J
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arvi r^'irn^^ '<•# ''#a'»r.^ ''I'.rv.<[.''. firav*."'. ■ -. . % ■
So thi» brak6 ap this r/zjr.ci. at Tvi.-r.av :..,., .v-i..rtr... ■„-
SPEECH OF PHILIP lyARTBVELD [April 30)
but passed t:^ holding down his head. The
more he held iiis peace, the more the people
followed him, pressing to heat some tidings,
and once or twice as he rode to his lodging-
wird, he said to them that followed him :
' Sirs, EElurn to ;our hotiaes : for this day
God aid you, and to-morrow at nine of the
clock come into the market-place, and
then ye shall hear the tidings that I can
shew you.' Other answer could they have
none of him, whereof every man Was greatly
abashed.
And when Philip d'Arteveld was alighted
at his lodging, and such as had been at
Tournay with him, and every man gone to
their own lodgings, then Peter du Bois,
who desired to hear some tidings, came in
the evening to Philip's house, and so then
they two went together into a chamber.
Then Peter demanded of him how he had
sped, and Philip, who would hide nothing
from him, said: 'By ray feith, Peter, by
that the earl of Flanders hath answered by
his council sent to Toumay, he will take
no manner of person within the town of
Gaunt lo mercy, no more one than another.'
' By my faith,' quoth Peter, ' lo say the
truth, he doth but right to do so ; he is
well counselled to be of that opinion, fbr
they be all part-lakets, as well one as
another. Now the matter is come even
after mine intent, and a,lso it was the intent
of my good master John Lyon that is dead ;
for now the town will be so troubled, that
it will be hard ever to appease it again.
Now it is time to take bridle in the teeth :
now it shall be seen who is sage and who is
hardy in the town of Gaunt ; other shortly
the town of Gaunt shall be the most hon-
oured town in Christendom, or else the
most desolate : at the least if we die in this
quarrel, we shall not die all alone. There-
fore, Philip, remember yourself well ihb
night, bow ye may make relation to-morrow
10 the people of the determination of your
council holden now at Toumay, and that
ye may shew it in siicb manner, that the
people may be content with you : for je
have already the grace of the people for
two causes ; one is because of your name,
for sometime Jaques d'Arteveld your father
was marvellously well beloved ; the other
cause is, ye entreat the people meekly and
sagely, as the common saying is throughout
^e town, wherefore the people will believe
k
you, to live or die : and at the end shew
them your counsel and say how ye will do
hus and thus, and they will all say the
iame. Therefore it bchovelh you to take
lood advice in shewing words, wbereon
ieth your honour.' 'Truly,' quoth Philip,
' yc say truth : and I trust so to speak and
ihew the besynes of Gaunt, that we who are
low goveinours and captains shall other
ive or die with honour.' So thus they
departed fbr that night each from other :
Peter du Bois went home to his house, and
Philip d'Arteveld abode still in his.
Ye may well know and believe that when
the day desired was come, that Philip
d'Arteveld should generally report the
effect of the council holden at Tournay, all
the people of the town of Gannl drew them
to the market-place, on a Wednesday in
the morning ; and about nine of the bell
Philip d'Arteveld, Peter du Bois, Peter de
Wintere, Francis Ackerman and the other
captains came thither and entered up into
the common hall. Then Philip leaned
out at a window and b^an to speak, and
said ; ' O all ye good people, it is of truth
that at the desire of the right honourable
lady my lady of Brabant and the right
noble duke Aubert, bsilifF" of Hainault,
Holland and Zealand, and of my lord the
bishop of Liege, there was a council agreed
and accorded to be at Tournay, and thereat
lo be personally the earl of Flanders, and
so he certiGed to these said lords, who
have nobly acquitted themselves, for they
sent thither right notable councillors and
knights and burgesses of good towns. And
so they and we of this good town of Gaunt
were there at the day assigned looking and
abiding for the earl of Flanders, who came
not nor would not come : and when they
saw that he came not nor was not coming,
then theysentlo him to Bruges three knights
for the three countries and bui^esses for
the good towns, and they travailed so much
for our sakes that ihey went to him to Bruges,
and there they found him, who made Ihem
great cheer, as they said, and heard well
their message ; but he answered ibem and
said that for the honour of then- lords and
for the love of his sister the lady of Brabant,
he said, he would send his council to
Tournay within five or six days after, so
well instructed by him that they should
1
270
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
plainly shew the full of his intention and
mind. Other answer could they none
have, and so they returned again to us to
Toumay. And then the day assigned by
the earl there came from him to Tournay
the lord of Ramseflies, the lord of Gruthuse..
sir John Vilain and the provost of Harle-
becque ; and there they shewed graciously
their lord's will and certain arrest of this
war, how the peace might be had between
the earl and the town of Gaunt. First,
determinately they said, the earl will that
every man in the town of Gaunt except
prelates of churches and religious, all that
be above the age of fifteen year and under
the age of sixty, that they all in their shirts,
bare-headed and bare-footed, with halters
about their necks, avoid the town of Gaunt
and so go a twelve mile thence into the
plain of Buscampfeld, and there they shall
meet the earl of Flanders accompanied with
such as it shall please him : and so when
he seeth us in that case, holding up our
hands and crying for mercy, then he shall
have pity and compassion on us, if it please
him : but, sirs, I cannot know by tne re-
lation of any of his council but that by
shameful punition of justice there shall
suffer death the most part of the people
that shall appear there that day. Now,
sirs, consider well if ye will come to peace
by this means or not.*
When Philip d'Arteveld had spoken
these words, it was great pity to see men,
women and children weep and wring their
hands for love of their fathers, brethren,
husbands and neighbours. And after this
torment and noise Philip d'Arteveld began
again to speak and said : * Peace, sirs,
peace ! ' and incontinent every man was
still. Then he began to speak and said :
* Ah, ye good people of Gaunt, ye be here
now assembled the most part, and ye have
heard what I have said. Sirs, I see none
other remedy but short counsel, for ye
know well what necessity we be in for lack
of victual : I am sure there be thirty
thousand in this town that did eat no bread
this fifteen days past. Sirs, of three things
we must of necessity do the one. The first
is, if ye will let us enclose ourselves in this
town and mure up all our gates, and then
confess us clean to God and let us enter
•^p« and minsters, and so let
ntant of our sins, like
martyrs and such people as no man will
have mercy of : yet in this estate God shall
have mercy of our souls, and it shall be
said in every place where it shall be heard,
that we be dead valiantly and like true
people. Or else secondly let us all, men,
women and children, go with halters about
our necks, in our shirts, and cry mercy to
my lord the earl of Flanders : I think his
heart will not be so indurate, as when he
seeth us in that estate, but that his heart
will mollify and take mercy of his people ;
and as for myself I will be the first of all to
appease his displeasure, I shall present my
head and be content to die for them of
Gaunt. Or else thirdly let us choose out
in this town five or six thousand men of the
most able and best appointed, and let us
go hastily and assail the earl at Bruges and
fight with him ; and if we die in this voyage,
at the least it shall be honourable and God
shall have pity of us and all the world shall
say that valiantly and truly we have kept and
maintained our quarrel. And in this battle,
if God will have pity of us, as anciently he
put his puisisance into the hands of [Judith,
as our fathers tell us, who slew Holofemes
that was under] ^ Nabugodonosor, duke
and master of his chivalry, by whom the
Assyrians were discomfited, then shall we
be reputed the most honourable people that
hath reigned sith the days of the Romans.
Now, sirs, take good heed which of these
three ways ye will take, for one of them
must ye needs take.'
Then such as were next him and had
heard him best said : * Ah, sir, all we have
our trust in you to counsel us, and, sir, look,
as ye counsel us, so shall we follow.' * By
my faith,' quoth Philip, * then I counsel
you, let us go with an army of men against
the earl : we shall find him at Bruges, and
as soon as he shall know of our coming, he
will issue out to fight with us by the pride
of them of Bruges and of such as be about
him, who night and day informeth and
stirreth him to fight with us. And if God
will by his grace that we have the victory
and discomfit our enemies, then shall we
be recovered for ever and the most honoured
people of the world ; and if we be discom-
fited, we shall die honourably and God
shall have pity of us and thereby all the
1 The words in brackets were omitted in the
translator's French text.
MARCH TOWARDS BRUGES
with they alt answered with c
ewiU
make none other end.' Then Philip
swered and said : ' Sirs, if it be your wills
to An thus, then return home to yuur houses
and make ready your harness, for lo-monow
sotne time of the day I will that we depart
out of Gaunt and go toward Uruges, for the
abiding here is nnthing for us profitable ;
and within five days we shall know if we
shall die or live with honour : and I shall
send the constables of every parish from
house to house to choose out the most able
and best appointed men.'
Iq this estate every man departed out ol
the market-place and made them ready;
and this Wednesday they kept the (own sc
close, that nother man nor woman entered
nor issued out of the town till the Thursday
in the morning, that every man was ready,
such as should depart ; and they were to
the number of five thousand men and not
past, and they had with them two hundred
chares of ordnance and artillery, and but
seven carls of victual, five of biscuit bread
and two tun of wine, for in all they had but
two tun and left oo more behind Ihem in
the town. This was a hard departing,
and they that were left behind were hardly
bestead. It was pity lo behold them that
went forth, and they that abode behind
said to them ; ' Sirs, now at your departure
ye know what ye leave bdiind you, but
never think to come hither again without
ye come with honour ; for if it be other-
wise, ye shall find here nothing, for as soon
as we hear tidings that ye be other slain or
discomfited, we shall set the town afire and
destroy ourselves like people despaireii.'
Then they that went forth said to comfort
ihem : ' Sirs, pray to God for us, foe we
trust he shall help us and you also, or we
return again.' Thus these five thousand
departed from Gaunt with their small pro-
vision, and that Thursday they went and
lay a mile' without Gaunt, and brake not up
their provisioo but passed that night with
such things as they found abroad in the
country ; and the Friday they went forth,
not touching as yet their victual, for the
foragers found somewhat in the country,
3 *A league '; Imt the beat Evading is 'uoebaure
wherewith they passed that day, and s
lodged a seven mile^ from Bruges, and
there rested and took a place of ground
al their device, abiding their enemies ; and
before them there was a great plash of
standing water, wherewith they fortified
themselves on the one part, and on Ih
other part vrilh their carriages. And &
they passed that night.
CHAPTER CCCXCIX
Of the order of the battle of the Gaunlois.
and how ihcy discomfited the earl and
them of BrUEes, and by what means.
And when it came to the Saturday in the
morning, the weather was fair and dear
and a holiday called in Bruges, for that
day of custom they made processio
Then tidings came to them how the
Gauntoia were come thither. And then ye
should have seen great munnurings f
Bruges, so that at last word thereof can
to tte earl and to his company, whereof
the earl had great marvel and said : ' Be-
hold yonder ungracious people of Gaunt ;
I trow the devil hath brought them to their
destruction : now is the time come to h
an end of this war.' And so then his
knights and squires came to him, and he
received them graciously and said lo them :
' We shall go fight with yonder unhappy
fieople of Gaunt: yet,' quoth the carf,
' they had rather die by the sword than by
famine.' Then the earl was counselled ti
send three men of arms into the field tosei
the demeanour of his enemies. And si
then the marshal of Flanders appointed
out three squires, valiant men of aims, '
go and see the behaving of the Gaunloi
as Lambert of Lambres, Damas of Bussy
and John of Bourc, and so they three
parted from Bruges and rode toward their
enemies. And in the mean time, while
these three went forth, they of Bruges made
them ready to issue out to go and fight
with the Cauntois. Of whom I shall shew
somewhat of their order.
This Saturday in the morning Philip
d'Arteveld ordained and commanded that
■ * A Dne grand« liellc'
^ The day was id May, Invimtion of the Ciou,
' le jdur SaiDl-HeuuDC,' as Froissait calls lu
272
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
every man should make him ready to God,
and caused masses to be sung in divers
places by certain friars that were with him,
and so every man confessed him and prayed
to God for grace and mercy. And there
were certain sermons made enduring an
hour and a half, and there it was shewed
to people by these friars and clerks, figur-
ing them to the people of Israel, whom
king Pharaon kept long in servitude, and
how after by the grace of God they were
delivered and led into the land of behest
l)y Moses and Aaron, and king Pharaon
and the Egyptians slain and taken. *In
like wise,' quoth these friars, *ye good
people, ye be kept in servitude by your
lord the earl of Flanders and by your neigh-
bours of Bruges, before whom now ye be
come and shaU be fought with by all likeli-
hood, for your enemies have great will to
fight with you, for they fear little your puis-
sance. But, sirs, take no heed to that, for
God, who knoweth and seeth all thing, shall
have mercy on you ; nor think nothing of
that ye have left behind you, for ye may
well know it is without recoverance, if ye
be discomfited : therefore sell your lives
valiantly and die, if there be none other
remedy honourably. And be not dismayed,
though great puissance of people issue out
of Bruges against you, for victory lieth not
in puissance of people, but it is all only in
God, and by his grace it hath been often-
times seen, as well by the Maccabees as by
the Romans, that a small people of good
will trusting in the grace of God hath dis-
comfited a great number of people. And,
sirs, in this quarrel ye have good right and
a just cause, and therefore by many reasons
ye ought to be hardy and of good comfort. '
Thus^ith such words and other these
friars preached to the people that morning,
wherewith they were well content. And
three parts of the host were houselled, shew-
ing themselves to have great trust in God.
And after these masses sung, then they
assembled together on a little hill, and
there Philip d' Arteveld by great sentence ^
shewed them from point to point the right
that they thought they had in their quarrel,
and how that oftentimes the town of Gaunt
had required their lord the earl to have
1^ * Parla de grand sentement,* * spoke with great
earnestness ' : ' sentement ' usually means ' know-
ledge' or 'conviction.'
mercy on them, but they could never
to no point with him, but to the great <»■
fusion and damage of the town of Garit
and to the inhabitants thereof: also sajiii
how they were then come so fer forth, tte
to recule again they could not, and ab
then to return, all things considered, Aei
could win nothing thereby, for they \m
left nothing behind them but poverty aiii
heaviness; and moreover he said: *Sii^
think nother of your wives nor duldrOi
but think of your honour.* Thus sudifior
words Philip d' Arteveld shewed amott
them, for he was well languaged andoool!
speak right well, and well it became him;
and finally he said : * Now, fair lords, let
us truly and equally depart our victual ead
to other like brethren, without any wiynnw
of outrage ; for when this is spent, it nnBt
behove us to seek for new, if we think ti»
Hve.* And so then right humbly the chaiei
were discharged and the bread was divided
by the constables, and the two tuns of
wine the bottoms were set upward, and so
there they dined with the bread and with
the wine, and were content with their small
repast for that time, and felt themselves
better disposed both in courage and in their
members than an they had eaten more
meat. And when this dinner was past,
then they set themselves in order and drew
themselves within their ribaudeux, the
which were high stakes bound vtrith iron
and sharp pointed, which they used ever to
bear with them in their war, and so th^
set them before their battle and closed
themselves within them, and in this estate
the three squires that were sent from the
earl to see their demeaning found them ; for
they approached so near that they might well
aview them, for they came just to their stakes :
but the Gauntois never stirred for all them,
but let them alone and made semblant that
they were right joyful of their coming.
Then these currours rode to Bruges to
the earl, and found him in his lodging with
a great number of knights and squires with
him : so they came through the press to the
earl, and they spake out aloud, because the
earl would they should be heard ; and so
there they shewed how they had ridden so
near to the Gauntois, that they might have
shot at them if they had list, but they
suffered them to pass peaceably, and also
they shewed how they had seen their
VICTORY OF THE CAUNTOIS (jl/iy 3)
273
fcannncts. Then Ihe earl demanded what
K^umber of people Ihey were by estimation :
■they answered that surely, as far as they
«::ould descry, they passed not a live or six
thousand. Then the earl said : 'Well, let
^very man apparel himself; I will go fight
■xvith them : they shall not depart vfithout
"battle.' And therewith the trumpets did
;sown through Bruges, and then every man
^u^med him and assembled in the market-
place, and set themselves in order with their
lianncrs, as was the niage. And Ijefore the
carl's lodging assembled lords, hnjghts and
Btiiiires.
When everything was ready, then the
carl went to the market-place and saw
there great number of people well ordered
and arranged, whereof he rejoiced ; and so
B.t his commandment every man drew in
Ixine order into the fields. It was great
pleasure to behold them ; they were a forty
thousand armed men, and go, what a-horse-
Irack and Bfoot, they came near to the
place where the Gauntois were, and there
they rested ; and by that lime that the earl
-was come thither, it was past noon and the
sun began to decline. Then some said to
the earl: ' Sir, ye see yonder your enemies ;
they be but a handful of men, as to Ihe
regard of your company, and, sir, they
cannot ily away. We would counsel you
not to fight with them this night ; let them
alone till to-morrow ; and, sit, thereby ye
shall see what they will do ; they shall be
feebler than ihey be now, for they have
nothing to eat.' The earl accorded well to
that counsel, and would that it should so
have been done ; but they of Bruges were
so hot and hasty to f^hl, that they would
not abide, but said, 'Set on them, they
shall not long endure ' ; and so then they
of liruges began to shoot guns at them :
and then they of Gaunt discEa^ed at once
three hundred guns at one shot, and so
turned about the plash of water and caused
the sun to be in the eycn of them of Bruges,
the which grieved them sore, and so entered
in among them and cried 'Gaunt I ' And
as soon as they of Bruges beard them cry
'Gaunt I' and heard so many guns come
in among them, and saw how they set full
front on them, like talse-bearted people and
of evil couri^e they gave way to the
Gauntois to enter in among Ihem ; and so
, jrithout any defence they cast down theii
weapons and turned their backs. Then
the Gauntois, seeing well how their enemies
were discomfited, kept themselves still
close together and beat down on both sides
md before them, and ever went forth crying
Gaunt I ' saying also, ' Follow, follow, our
enemies are discomfited, and let us enter
nto Bruges with them : God hath regarded
;s this evening by his pity.' And as they
said, so they did ; for they pursued them of
Bruges sharply, and as they overtook, them
they slew them, and tarried not but kept
on still their way, and ever they of Bruges
fled on before. There were many slain
and beaten down, for among them of
Bruges there was no defence. I trow there
was never so unhappy ]jeoplc nor more re-
creantly maintained themselves, for all the
great pride and boliance that they were of
before. Some would think and suppose by
imagination that there had been some
treason, the which was not so : it was
none other but their simple defence and
evil fortune that fell on them.
CHAPTER CCCC
When the earl of Flanders and the com-
pany that was about him saw the evil order
and rule of them of Bruges, and saw how
they were discomfited by their own folly,
and could see no recoverance, for they
fled away before the Gauntois, the earl then
was abashed and all they Ihal were about
liim, and so discomfited that they fied away
every man to save himself. Of a truth, if
they of Bruges would have returned again
and assailed Ihe Gauntois with their help,
they had been likely to have recovered all
again ; but they saw no remedy, for they
fled toward Bruges as fast as they might,
the father tarried not for the son nor the
son for the lather. So then the men of
arms and all brake their array, but they
had no list to lake the way to Bruges 7
the press was so great in the way toward
Bruges, that it was maivel to see, and
to hear the clamour and cry of them that
were stain and hurt, and the Gauntois
274
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
following them of Bruges crying, * Gaunt,
Gaunt ! still going forward and beating
down of people. The most part of the
men of arms would not put themselves in
that peril : howbeit, the earl was counselled
to draw to Bruges and to be one of the
first that should enter, and then to close
the gates, to the intent that the Gauntois
should not be lords of Bruges. The earl
seeing none other remedy, nor no recover-
ance by abiding in the field, for he saw
well every man fled and also it was dark
night, wherefore he believed the counsel
that was given him and so took the way
toward Bruges with his banner before him,
and so came to the gate and entered with
the first, and a forty with him : then he set
men to keep the gate, and to close it if the
Gauntois did follow. Then the earl rode
to his own lodging and sent all about the
town commanding every man on pain of
death to draw to the market-place. The
intention of the earl was to recover the
town by that means ; but he did not, as ye
shall hear after.
In the mean time that the earl was at his
lodging and sent forth the clerks of every
ward from street to street, to have every
man to draw to the market-place to recover
the town, the Gauntois pursued so fiercely
their enemies, that they entered into the
town with them of Bruges ; and as soon as
they were within the town, the first thing
they did they went straight to the market-
place and there set themselves in array.
The earl as then had sent a knight of his
called sir Robert Marescal to the gate, to
see what the Gauntois did, and when he
came to the gate, he found the gate beaten
down and the Gauntois masters thereof;
and some of them of Bruges met with him
and said : * Sir Robert, return and save
yourself if ye can, for the town is won by
them of Gaunt.* Then the knight returned
to the earl as fast as he might, who was
coming out of his lodging a-horseback with
a great number of cressets and lights with
him, and was going to the market-place.
Then the knight shewed the earl all that
he knew : howbeit, the earl, willing to re-
cover the town, drew to the market-place ;
and as he was entering, such as were before
him, seeing the place all ranged with the
'Gauntois, said to the earl: 'Sir, return
if ye go any £surther, ye are but
dead or taken with your enemies, for they
are ranged on the market-place and do
abide for you.' They shewed him truth;
and when the Gauntois saw the clearness
of the lights coming down the street, they
said : * Yonder cometh the earl : he shall
come into our hands.' And Philip d'Arte-
veld had commanded from street to street
as he went,^ that if the earl came among
them, that no man should do to him any
bodily harm, but take him alive and then
to have him to Gaunt, and so to make their
peace as they list. The earl, who trusted
to have recovered all, came right near to
the place whereas the Gauntois were. Then
divers of his men said : * Sir, go no farther,
for the Gauntois are lords of the market-
place and of the town : if ye enter into the
market-place, ye are in danger to be slain
or taken : a great number of the Gauntois
are going from street to street seeking for
their enemies : they have certain of them
of the town with them to bring them from
house to house, whereas they would be.
And, sir, out at any of the gates ye cannot
issue, for the Gauntois are lords thereof;
nor to your own lodging ye cannot return,
for a great number of the Gauntois are
going thither.'
And when the earl heard those tidings,
which were right hard to him, as it was
reason, he was greatly then abashed and
imagined what peril he was in. Then he
believed the counsel and would go no
farther, but to save himself if he might, and
so took his own counsel. He commanded
to put out all the lights, and said to them
that were about him : * I see well there is no
recovery : let every man depart and save
himself as well as he may * : and as he com-
manded it was done ; the lights were
quenched and cast into the streets, and so
every man departed. The earl then went
into a back lane and made a varlet of his
to unarm him, and did cast away his
armour and put on an old cloak of his
varlet's, and then said to him : * Go thy
way from me and save thyself if thou canst ;
and have a good tongue, an thou fall in the
hands of thine enemies, and if they ask thee
anything of me, be not beknown that I am
in the town. ' He answered and said :
* Sir, to die therefor I will speak no word
1 The better reading is ' from rank to rank ' of
his men.
BRUGES TAKEN
ars
of you.' Thus abode there the earl of
Glanders all alone : he might then well say
that he waa in great dongei and hard ad-
venture, for at that lime, if he had fallen in
the hands of his enemies, he had been in
danger of death ; for the Gauntois went
from bouse to house searching for the earl's
friends, and ever as they found any they
brought them into the market-place, and
there without remedy before Fhilip d'Arte-
veld and the captains they were put to
death. So God was friend to the earl, to
save him out of that peril : he was never in
such danger before ui his life, nor never
after, as ye shall hear after in this history.
Thus about the hour of midnight the earl
went from street to street and by back
lanes, so thai at last he was fain to take a
house, or else he had been found by them
of Gaunt ; and so, as he went about the
town, he entered into a poor woman's
house, the wliich was not meet for such a
lord r there was nother hall, palace nor
chamber, it was but a poor smoky house,
there was nothing but a poor hall, black
with smoke, and above a small platichet and
a ladder of seven steps to mount upon, and
on the plancher there was a poor couch,
whereas the poor woman's children lay.
Then the earl, sore abashed and trembling,
at his enteriiig said : ' O good woman, save
n thy lord the earl of Flanders ;
but n
it hide n
, forn
chase me, and if ye do me good now, I shall
reward you hereafter therefor. " The poor
woman knew him well, for she had been
oftentimes at his gate to (etch alms, and had
often seen him as he went in and oul
a-sporting ; and so incontinent, as hap was,
she answered, for if she had made any de-
lay, he had been taken talking with her by
the fire. Then she said ; ' Sir, mount up
this ladder and lay yourself uniier the bed
that ye find, thereas my children sleep':
and so in the mean time the woman sate
down by the fire with another child that
she had in her arms. So the earl mounted
up the plancher as well as he might, and
crept In between the couch and the straw
and lay as fiat as he could : and even there-
with some of the rutters of Gaunt entered
into the same house, for some of them said
how they had seen a roan enter into Ihc
house before them ; and so they found the
jvoman slttmg by the fire with her child.
Then they said : ' Good woman, where is
the man thai we saw enter before us into
this house, and did shut the door after
him ? ' ' Sirs, ' quoth she, * I saw no man
enter into this house this riight. I went
out right now and cast out a httle water
and did close my door again. If any were
here, I could not tell how to hide him : ye
see all the easement that I have in this
house : here ye may see my bed, and here
above this plancher lieth my poor children.'
Then one of them took acandle and mounted
up the ladder and put up his head above
the plancher, and saw there none other thing
hut the poor couch, where her children lay
and slept, and so he looked all about and
then said to his company ; ' Go we hence ;
we lose the more for the less : the poor
woman sailh truth ; here is no creature bat
she and her children': and then they de-
parted out of the house. After that there
was none entered to do any hurt. All
these words the earl heard right well,
whereas he lay under the poor couch : ye
may well imagine then that he was in great
fear of his life ; he might well say, 'I aro
as now one of the poorest princes of the
world,' and might well say that the fortunes
of the world are nothing stable." Yet it
was a good hap that he scaped with his
life : howbeit, this hard and perilous ad-
venture might well be to him a spectacle
all his life after and an ensample to all
Now let us leave the eail of Flmiders in
this hard estate and speak of them of
Bruges, and how the Gauntois persevered.
CHAPTliK CCCCI
Bruges and went to IJIIe, am
received there joyously.
Francis Ackerman was one of the chief
captaiiK of these rulteiB : he was sent by
Philip d'Arteveld and by Peter du Bois to
seek about Bruges for their enemies and to
well sayrVBm'™" qV the 'irew^Tyw' ^)^l)
princes in the Christian world, »nd dd ihc ni^t
mlEhl well say that the ronunes,' etc
ESCAPE OF THE EARL OF FLANDERS
277
^hem, seeing that five thousand men near
flamished discomfited forty thousand men
«t home at their own dcxirs. The captains
"■lot they had no cause to tie proud thereof;
"Iiut they were so proud thereof, that God
^was displeased with them, and that was
~well seen or the year passed, ts ye shall
!hear after in the story, to give ensample to
all people,
I was informed, and I believe it well,
that the Sunday at night the earl of Flanders
issued out of the town of Bruges, by what
means I cannot say. If any did help him
to make his way I cannot tell, but I believe,
-yts. He issued out afoot all alone in an
old simple cloak ; and when he was in the
fields, he was joyful, for then he might well
say how he had escaped a dangerous pas-
sage : and so went forth at adventure and
■went to a thick bush ' to see what way he
might lake, for he knew not well the ways,
nor he was not wont to go afoot. And as
he stood under a thick bush in the night,
he heard by adventure a man speak as he
came by, and it was a knight of his, who
bad married his bastard daughter, and he
was called sir Robert Marescal. The earl
knew him well by his words, and as he
passed by, he said : 'Robert, are ye there?'
The kn^ht, who knew the earl well by bis
speech, said : ' Ah, sir, ye have made me
this day to seek in many places for you
about Bruges. How are ye got out?'
' Let us go our way,' quoth the earl, ' it is
no lime to tell our adventures. I pray you
let us do so much that I may have a horse,
for I am sore weary with going afoot, and
I piay you let us take the way to Lille, an
ye know il.' 'Yes, sir,' quoth the knight,
' I know it well': and so they went forth
all that nighl, till it was the next morning,
or they could get a horse ; and yet they
could get none, but the first that they found
was a mare, the which Ihey took from a
poor man in a village. So the earl leapt
on her without 'saddle or panel and at
nighl came to Lille, where Ihe most part of
his knights that fled out of the field were
come thither, some afoot, some a-horse-
back, and some were gone into Holland
and into Zealand, as sir Guy of Ghistelles j
he arrived at a good port, for he found in
Zealand in a town there the earl Guy of
Blois, who made him good cheer and de-
1 ■l.ltofllhickct.'
parted largely with him ' and willed him to
tarry there with him as long as it should
please him. Thus Ihey that were desolate
were recomforted by the lords that they
resorted unto, who had pity on them, as it
was reason, for nobleness and gentleness
ought to be aided by nobles and gentles.
CHAPTER CCCCII
Of the great riches that the Gauntnis found
Thb tidings spread abroad Into divers
countries of the discomfiture of them of
Bruges and of the earl their lord, done by
the Gauntois, wherewith there were divers
people rejoiced and specially commonalties.
All the good towns about Gaunt and in the
bishopric of Liege were as joyful as though
the matter had t^n their own : in tike wise
30 were they of Rouen and Paris in France,
if they durst have spoken it. And when
Cpe Clement heard thereof, he bethought
n a little, and said surely this discom-
fiture was a stroke of God to give ensample
to the earl, and that God had sent him
that tribulation because he was rebel against
his opinions. Also other great lords in
France and in other places said how the
earl's adversity was not greatly to be com-
plained, for he had well deserved to bear
it, for he had been so presumptuous that he
loved no lord neighbour, French king nor
other, wherefore they complained less his
persecutions : howbeil, it is an old saying,
' He that hath any evil fortune, men will
speak the worst thereof.'" And specially
they of the tovra of Louvain were greatly
rejoiced with the victory of the Gauntois
and of the earl's trouble ; for Ihey were but
with the duke of Brabant their
lord, 1
n purpose (
:i make them w
and to beat down their gates, to keep them
thereby the rather under. Also it was said
in the town of Louvain, that if Gaunt had
been as neat them as Brussels was, they
would have joined together and have been
all one. Of all their words and devices
the duke and duchess of Brabant were in-
■ ' M=i. w
278
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
formeil ; but it bchoveil them as at that
time to close their eyen and to hold down
their heads, for it ^vas no time for them
then to s))eak.
Thus they of (jaunt, being in Bruges,
devised many new things, and among other
they devisetl to beat down two gates that
were towanl Ciaunt and to fill the dikes, to
the intent that they of Bruges should never
ret>el after against Gaunt ; and when they
should depart, to take with them a five
hundred men of them of Bruges, to the in-
tent to keep them in the more fear and
subjection. Thus in the mean season, while
these ca^^tains were at Bruges beating down
gates and walls and filling of dikes, they
sent to Ynres, to Courtray, to Bergues, to
Cassel, to Poperinghe, to Bourbourg and to
all the towns ami castles of Flanders on the
sea coast, that they should be all under the
obeisance of them, and to send them the
keys of their towns and castles, submitting
thett\selves to their obeisance and service :
and so they all obeyed, none durst say
against it, but came aU to Bruges putdng
themselves und<»r the obeisance of Philip
d*Arteveld anvl Peter du Bois; for these
tw<» named and wrote themselves sovereign
caotains of all other, and sDedally Philip
d*Arteveld was he that most busied himself
with the charge of all Flanders: ami as
long as he abode in Bniges, he kept the
estate of a prince, for every day he had
playing at his lodging door xnmstrels dinner
and supper, and was served in vessel of
silver, as though he bad been the earl of
I'landefs ; ana well he might keep then
that estate, for he had all the earl's vessel,
gold ami silver, and all his jewels found '
in his house at Bniges> there was nothing I
saved. Also there was sent a certain num- '
ber of Gauntois to Male, a £ur house of the j
earl's standing half a mile^ from Bruges. '
They that went thither did much hurt, for
they brake down all the house and brake
down the font wherein the earl was christ-
ened, and laid in chariots all the gold and
silver ;ewels and other things that they
found :here. and sent it to GaunL The
:er!ii :i nr.een vial's there was going and
J- ::i:::^ 'Ai.h carriages from Bruges to Gaunt
wich :neir :MlIai;e that they had got that
ourney : ic was hard to esteem the prodt
And when they of Gaunt had done all
their will and pleasure in the town of
Bruges, they sent a five hundred of the
notablest burgesses of the town to Gaunt,
to lie there in hostage ; and Francis Acker-
man and Peter de Wintere and a thousand
of their men conveyed them thither, and
Peter du Bob abode as captain of Bruges,
till the gates and walls were beaten down
and the dikes filled. And Philip d'Arte-
veld departed with four thousand men and
went to Ypres, and there all manner of
people came out against him and received
him as honourably as though he had been
their own natural lord that had come first
to his land : and there they all did pat
themselves under his obeisance, and there
he made new mayors and aldermen and
made new laws ; and to him came thither
they of Cassel, of Beiges, of Bonrboorg
and of Poperinghe, they all sabmitted
themselves under his obeisance and sware
to him Euth and troth, and to hold of him
as to their lord the earl of Flanders. And
when he had thus done and taken the
assurance of them and had tarried at Ypres
the space of eight days, then he departed
and came to Courtray, whereas he was ako
received with great joy, and thcye he tarried
three days; and then he sent messoogeis
and letters to Oudenarde, commanding
them to come to him and to be under his
obeisance, se^ng how all the country was
turned to them of Gaunt, and how they
were behind and did not as other (fid;
wherefore he sent them word surely that
the Gauntois should lay siege to them and
not to depart till they had the town and
slain all them within. When these tidings
and message came to Oudenarde sent from
Philip d'Arteveld, then the three kn^hts
answered hotly and said how they set bat
little by the menacing oi a son of a brewer
of honey, nor that the heritage of the carl
th^ lord should be so soon given to him
nor to none such, saying how they would
defend it to die in the quarrel. Thus the
messengers returned again to Courtray.
:aac uitv ^ac 'Jiere.
' li.\xd a league.
SIEGE OF OUDENARDE
279
CHAPTER CCCCIII
Cauntois and Flemings.
besieged by ili'
Wmkn Philip d'Arteveld heard his messen-
ger speaji and report how they of the garri-
son of Oudenaide set nothing by him, then
he sware thai, whatsoevei it coat him or the
country of Flanders, he would nothing in-
tend till he had talien Chat town and cast it
down to the earth, he was so sore db-
pleased. He thought this to do had been
well in hispuissance,seeingthat all Flanders
was inclined to him. When he had so-
journed a. six days at Courtray and had
renewed their law and had taken fealty and
homage of them, as though he had been
earl of Flanders, then he returned to Gaunt,
and there he was met with procession with
so great joy that the earl their natural lord
was never so honourably received. The
people worshipped him like their
because he gave the counsel whereby
town recovered their estate and puissa
for it could not be esteemed the great riches
and wealth that came daily to them by
water and l^ land from Bruges, from
Damme and from Sluys, and the loaf of
bread that in three weeks together was
worth an old groat was then worth but four
mites, and the wine that was worth twenty-
four groats was then valued but at twc
groats. As then everything in Gaunt waf
better cheap than at Toumay or at Valen-
ciennes. Philip d'Arteveld then kept s
great stable of good horses like a great
prince, and he was as well stuffed in all
ihiog in his house as though he had been
earl of Flanders, and better than the earl
was appointed at Lille : and also he had
through all Flanders his ofiicers, bailiffs,
constables, receivers and other, who daily
brought him subsla.nce, whereby he mair
lainKl his estate ; and he ware scarli
gowns furred with miniver, like as the duke
of Brabanl or earl of Hainault did : also he
had his chamber of account to pay nod
to reckon for everything, as the earl had.
And he gave divers suppers and banquet!
to ladies and damosels m like manner a!
the earl had done before, and spared nothei
gold nor silver for his pleasure. And he
and called himself ' Philip d'Arteveld,
the Regard and overlooker of Flanders.'^
The earl of Flanders being at Lille had
much 10 think on when he saw his country
axe rebelled against him, and could not
that he was of puissance as of himself
r to recover it again : for all the towns
e in unity and of one accord against
him, the which he could never fordo but by
great force and puissance ; for all the
country spake no more of him nor did him
no more Tionour nor would not know him
for their lord, no more than he had never
been so. Then the alliance that he hod
with the duke of Burgoyne, who had married
his daughter the lady Margaret, by whom
the duke had two fair sons, this alliance
stood the earl as then in good stead : it was
happy also then for him that king Charles
was dead and that the young king as then
was under the governing of his uncle the
duke of Burgoyne, who might lead the king
at his pleasure ; and also the king was young
and had good will to the war, wherefore it
was the less mastery to stir him thereto,
and the earl hoped that the duke of Bur-
goyne would soon set him thereon, if he
would shew him how he is bound to aid
his men, when their men will rebel against
them. But some thought that if king
Charles had lived still till that time, that he
would have done nothing ; and if he had,
men supposed that he would thereby [have]
annexed the coimty of Flanders to the
crown of France ; for the earl of Flanders
was not so well in his grace Lhat he would
have done anything for him, without he
had known well why.
Nowlet us leave to speak of these devices,
till time be that we return thereto again ;
but let us shew how the earl of Flanders,
being at Lille after the great loss that he
had at Bruges, he understood how ar
Thierry d'Anvaing and sir Florenl de
Heule kept still the town of Oudenarde
and had kept it ever sith the besynes before
Bruges, and knew well that these knights
were not able to resist against the puissance
of Flanders, if they came to lay siege
thereto, as it was thought that Ihey would
do shortly. Then to refresh the town the
■ 'Regait diFIandres,' 'nderorFliiiidas.' The
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FRENCH INTERVENTION
wss, and his twp uncles with him, the
dukes of Berry and of Bourbon, and so
there the duke of Buteoyne \¥as received
with great joy and he was demanded
tidings of Flanders and of the siege of
Oudenarde, and the duke answered them
right sagely and shewed at! the matter.
And when he saw his time, he took apart
the duke of Beny and shewed him how the
Gauntois full of pride had done dieir devoir
and pain to destroy all nobleness, and also
he .shewed how they had brent and pilled
on the realm of France, the which was a
thing prejudicial and to the confusion and
shame of the realm of France, saying how
it ought not so to be suffered, 'Fair
brother,' quoth the duke of Berry, 'we
will speak with the king in this matter :
we two are chief of his council, so that if
we inform the king thereof, there is none
shall say against our intents. Howbeit, to
move war between France and Flanders,
the which hath been long in peace, it
behoveth that we have some lawful title
a.nd that the other barons and lords of
France he joined and agreed thereto, or
else peradventure we might be blamed and
bear all the liiult, if it fortuned not well.
For the king is young and every man
knowcth that he will soon agree to that we
counsel him : if the matter do well, then
well shall come thereof, and if any evil
come thereby, we shall then bear the charge
and be more blamed than any other, and
good cause why ; for every man shall say :
" Behold yonder the king's uncles, the duke
of Berry and of Burgoyne, how evil they
have counselled the king: they have
brought the realm of France into war,
whereas it needed not." Wherefore, dear
brother, I say, let us call ti^etber the most
part of the prelates and nobles of the realm
of France, and then let us shew them all
the matter in the presence of the king, to
whom the matter personally toucheth ' be-
cause of the heritage of Flanders, and so
thereby we shall hear generally every man's
will and opinion.' 'Ye soy right well,'
quoth the duke of Burgoyne, 'and as ye
have devised, so shall it be done.'
And with those same words the king
1 ■ Vdu pcrsdTiiilly layiug it befnrc Ihem, since ihe
^wtler louchrLh jou.'
entered into the same chamber with an
hawk on his hand, and so he spake merrily
to his uncles and said : ' Ah, my fail uncles,
what matter is that ye speak of in so great
counsel? I would gladly know it, if I
might.' ' Sir,' quoth the dulte of Berry,
'ye may know it right well, for it per-
toineth greatly to you. Sir, behold here
your uncle the duke of Biugoyne, whocom-
plaineth greatly of them of Flanders ; for
the ftlse villains of Flanders hath pat out of
bis heritage the earl their natural lord and
all noblemen, and as now they lie at siege
before Oudenarde with more than a hundred
thousand Flemings, wherein they have
besieged a great number of gentlemen.
And these Flemings have a captain called
Philip d'Arteveld, pure English in his
courage,' and be hath sworn never lo de-
part thence till he have his will of the town
and of them that be within it, without so
be that your power of France raise him
from the siege, the which he hath reserved
in his oath. Therefore, sir, how say you?
Will ye aid your cousin of Flanders and
conquer again his heritage, the which these
proud villains hath taken from him ? ' 'By
my faith,' quoth the king, ' fair uncles, I
have great will thereto, and for God's sake
let us do it. I desire none other thing
but to be armed, for as yet I never bare
armour ; it behoveth me, if I think to reign
in puissance and honour, to leain the feats
of arms.' These two dukes each of them
r^arded other and had great pleasure of
the king's words. Then the duke of Berry
spake again and said : ' Sir, ye have said
passingly well, and thus to do, sir, ye are
bound for divers reasons. Sir, the county
of Flanders is of the demain of France, and
ye have sworn, and we for you, to keep and
maintain in their right all your li(^ men :
and also, sir, the earl of Flanders is your
cousin, wherefore ye ought to love him.
And therefore, sir, sith ye be in this good
mind, keep you so still, and answer there-
after to every person that speaketh to you
thereof : and, sir, we shall assemble hastily
the prelates and barons of your realm and
shall shew them alt the matter in your pre-
sence; and, sic, then if ye will speak as
English » h.
;h England : so
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•aJ*.?. :..'m : ar.'! i*. s«n:ed to the king that
.'j/i faV.on chas^J so the herons that at last
h«: I'At the sight of her, wherewith he
tfi'/ujjhl he was s^jre displeased, seeing that
\\*: r.ould not follow his hawk ; and thought
\\*: Wild to the constable : * Ah, I fear me I
';h;ill Iom; my falcon, whereof I am sorr)-,
sMid I liavc no lure nor nothing else, where-
willi to call her again.* And at this point
III*' king thought that there appeared sud-
ili'iily licfore him a great hart with wings
and inclined himself before him, whereof
lie had groat joy and thought how he said
In the* I'nnslabic : * Sir, abide you here, and
I will mount on this hart and so follow
my tidron.* And so the king thought he
luouutrd on this ilying hart, and how the
THE FLYING HART
il83
hart according at Ihe king's desire did bear
him over all the great woods and trees, and
there he saw how his falcon beat down
great plenty of fowls, so that K was marvel
to behold ; and then it seemed to the king,
when his falcon had long flown and beaten
down many herons, then he thought he
called to her, and incontinent the falcon
came and sal her down on his list : and
then Ihe hail flew again over the woods
and brought the king to the same laund,
whereas the constable tarried for him, who
had great joy of his coming. And as soon
as he was alighted, he thought Ihe hart de-
parted, and then never saw him after ; and
so there the king thought how he shewed
to the constable how that the hart bad
borne him easily, he never rode so easily
before, and also he thought he shewed him
of the bounty of his &lcon. And therewith
it seemed lo him thai his vailets came to
them and brought them their horses, and so
they mounted and took the high way, and
so came again to Arras, And therewith
the king awoke and had great marvel of
that vision, and he remembered everything
thereof right well and shewed it lo them of
his chamber that were about him ; and the
figure of this hart pleased him so much,
that all his imagination was set thereon.
And this was one of the Grst incidents that
when he went into Flanders to fight with
the Flemings, he look to his device to bear
Ihe flying hart.
Philip d'Arteveld, for all his good adven-
ture at the beginning of his battle against
them of Bruges, and for all the good forlnne
that he had in the discomfiture of the earl
and of Ihem of Bruges, yet for all that he
was no subtle man of war, nother in as-
saultii^g nor laying of siege ; for he had not
been brought up therein in his youth ; he
had been more used to fish with an angle
rodinlheriverof rEscaull: Ihewhichwell
appeared while he lay at siege before
Oudenatde, for he could not get the town,
lie thought by presumption that the sight
of him should have made them of Ouile-
narde to have yielded them lo him ; but
they were nothing so disposed, (or they
bare themselves hTte valiant men and made
oflentimes scrimniishes at the barriers and
slew and hurt divers of the Flemings, and
drew again into then- town without any
damage. And of such issues Lambert of
Lambres and Tristram his brother and the
lord of Levreghien hare the greatest re-
nown. The Flemings saw well how the
dikes of the town were large and full of
water, so that they could not approach to
assail it but with much pain and danger.
Then they determined among Ihemsclvcs
to get faggots and straw and so to fill the
dikes, to come to the walls to fight hand to
hand ; and as Ihey ordained, so it »
done. Howbeil, they within made i
count of them, and said that, if there we
no treason among themselves nor in ll
town, they would set nothing by the siege
that they saw laid to Ihem. And so there-
fore sir Daniel of Halewyn, who was cap-
lain there, to bring everything out of doubt
kept himself day and night ever above them
of the town, and he so ordained that there
was none of them of the town should c.
on the walls of the town without company
of some of the men of war : if Ihey did,
they lost their heads for their labours.
Thus lay still this si^e : the Flemings had
great plenty of victuals coming to Ihem by
land and Ijy water, for they were lords of
all Ihe country of Flanders ; for always
for winning of money the countries of
Flanders, Holland, Zealand and Brabant,
and also part of Hainault by stealth,
brought ever victuals lo their host. This
Philip d'Arteveld had ever his couri^e
more English than French, and would
gladly that he had been allied with the
kins of England, whereby he thought that
if tne French Idng or duke of Burgoyne
came on him with an army, that he should
be aided by the Englishmen. He had al-
CHAPTERS CCCCVII-CCCCX
SUMMARY.— Philip d'AHcDeldvtrott to
the king of Frana asking him to mediate
ittvscn the Flemings attdtheir lord, buihis
Utters were laagked at and his messenger
kept in prison. Then he sent to ask for tile
alliance of England, iut also demanded re-
payment of a debt made in Ihe time ofjaquei
iCArftfueU.
The French king salt commissaries to
284
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Toumay to treat with the Flemings^ who
wrote to the principal towns of Flanders
asking for safe -conduct^ to which Philip
replied in date October 2Qth^ refusing
to treat unless the fortresses of Flanders
were opened to him. This letter was con-
veyed to the king of France and his council^
who were much offended thereby^ and forth-
with issued summons to all the realm to
assemble at Arras,
CHAPTERS CCCCXI-CCCCXVIII
SUMMAR Y.^Philip d* Arteveld left Oude-
narde and came to Bruges, to taJse order for
closing the passages into Flanders, Peter
du Bois was appointed to keep the passage of
the river Lys at Commines and Peter de
Wintere at Wameton, and all the other
bridges were broken.
The French after much debate decided to
attempt the passage at Commines^ but the
season and the rains made their advance
difficult. At Commines they found the
bridge broken and a large force on the other
side, Jfhile the constable and marshals
were in doubt what to do, certain knights
crossed the river in boats below Commines,
and before nightfall about four hundred men
of arms had passed without being perceived
by the Flemings, They then approached
Commines, but the Flemings did not leave
their positions to fight with them. The
constable was greatly dismayed for the safety
of his men on the other side, and renewed
the attempts to pass by the bridge. The
Frenchmen on the other side passed the
night in the marshes with much discomfort,
and in the morning the Flemings coming to
fight with them were defeated and forsook
the town. So the bridge was repaired and
the Frenchmen passed over,
Philip d"* Arteveld, informed of this, went
to Ghent to assemble more men, expecting
always to receive aid from England, He
met a herald who announced to him that
the alliance was consented to.
The French king crossed the river Lys
and lodged with his army on the mount of
Ypres. The to7un of Ypres submitted to
himy and so did Cassel, Bergues and other
ioivns of western Flanders. The king of
France heard of the rebellion of the commons
at Paris and in other toivns.
The French king came to Ypres, and
Philip d* Arteveld marched to Courtray
with fifty thousand men. The French
army steered much from the bad weather,
and it would have been better for the Flem-
ings if they had not come to fight with them,
but had remained and forttjfied thetnselves
before Oudenarde,
CHAPTER CCCCXIX
Of the marvels that came to the Flemings in
the night, and how they ordained their
battle all in one company.
The Wednesday at night that the battle
was the next day, Philip d'Arteveld with all
his puissance came and lodged in a fair
ground right strong between a dike and a
little grove of wood with a strong hedge,
so that lightly no man could come well at
them, and this was between the hill ^ and
Rosebeque, whereas the king lay. The
same night Philip d'Arteveld made a
supper in his lodging to all his captains
right plenteous, for they had provision
enough following them, and after supper
he said to them : * Fair sirs, ye see well we
be here in arms : I hope well to-morrow
we shall have some business, for the king,
who hath great desire to find us to fight, is
lodged at Rosebeque. Now I require
you all, keep faith and troth, and be not
abashed of anything that ye see or hear,
for this that we do is in the upholding of
our right ; and let us freely fight to main-
tain the jurisdictions of Flanders. Ad-
monish your people to do well their devoir,
and order them so well and wisely, that by
our good order and array we may have the
victory of the journey to-morrow. By the
grace of God we shall find no lord that
dare fight against us in the field, and it
shall be more honour for us than though
we had comfort of the Englishmen, for if
they were in our company, they should
have the renown and not we. Also say to
your company that they save no person
alive, and so thereby we shall live in rest ;
for here is with the king all the flower oif
France, there is none left behind : where-
fore I command on pain of death that no
man take any prisoner, without it be the
1 * Le Mont d'Or.'
BEFORE THE BATTLE OF KOSEBEQUE
285
king himself; for I would he were saved,
for he Is but a child, he dughl to be par-
doned ; he knowelh not yet what he doth,
hut as he is led ; we shall bring him to
Gaum to leain to speak Flemish. But as
for dukes, earls and other persons, slay
them all ; the commons in France will not
be displeased tbeiewith, for I am in surety
they would that none of them should
turn again into France, and no more
trust, they shall.' All such as were y,
Philip ' at this supper accorded to
opinion, and so answered with one vc
■11. and
jf him and returned to their lodgings lo
heir companies, to shew Ihem as ye have
leard before. Thus passed the night in the
host with Philip d'Arteveld ; but about
midnight, as I was informed, there fell in
their host a marvellous thing, I never heard
he heard the same himself, and it seemed to
htm that there was a great tournament on
the said hill. Then incontinent he entered
into his pavilion and caused his trumpet to
be blown. As soon as the trumpet had
blov
and a
1 then
ofm
E like it
Thus when the Flemings were at rest in
their lodgings, howbeit they knew well
their enemies were on the hill not past a
league from them, as I was informed,
Philip d'Arteveld had brought a damosel
with him out of Gaunt, and as Philip lay
and slept on a couch beside s. little fiie of
coals in a pavilion, this said damosel about
the hour of midnight issued out of the
pavilion to look out on the air and to sec
what time of the night it was by likelihood,
for she could not sleep. She looked toward
Rosebeque and she saw in the sky divers
fumes and fiie flying : it was of the fires
thai the Frenchmen made under hedges
and hushes. This damosel hearkened;
and, as she thought, she heard great bruit
between their host and the French host :
she thought she heard the French cries,
crying, ' Montjoy, Saint Denis!' and
other cries, and this she thou^t was on
Mount d'Or between them and Rosebeque.
Of this Ihii^ she was sore affrayed, and so
entered into the pavilion and suddenly
awaked Philip and said : ' Sir, rise up
shortly and arm you, for I have heard a
great noise on the Mount d'Or : I believe
it be the Frenchmen that are coming to
assail you.'
With those words he rose and cast on a
gown and look his axe in his hand and
issued out of the pavilion to see what it
was ; and as the damosel had shewed him,
They of the watch sent incontinent to Philip
d'Arteveld to know for what cause he stirred
up the host, seeiog there was no cause why,
shewing him how they had sent to Iheir
enemies' host and there was no stirring.
'Why,' quoth Philip, 'whereof rose that
noise on the Mount d'Or?' 'Sir,' qnoth
they, ' we heard the same noise and sent
thither to know what it was, and they that
went hath made report that when they came
there they heard nor saw nothing : and,
sir, because we found nothing, we made no
□oise thereof for stirring up of your host :
if we should have stirred them without a
cause, we ought to have been blamed for
our labour.' And when they of the watch
had shewed Philip these words, he ap-
peased himself and all the host : howbeit,
he had marvel in his mind what it might
be. Some said it was Rends of hell that
played and tourneyed, thereas the battle
should be the next day, for joy of the great
prey that they were likely to have there.
Lver after this sudden affray Philip
d'Arteveld and the Flemings were in doubt
of betraying; and so at good leisure they
ajmed them and made great fires and ale
meat and drank, whereof they had sufGcienl.
And an hour before day Philip said : ' Sirs,
it were good we drew into the fleld and
order our people, to the intent that, though
the Frenchmen come on us at the breaking
of the day, that we may be ready to receive
them. 'They all accorded to his saying,
and so issued out of their lodgings and came
into a heath without the wood. And be-
fore them there was a great large dike
newly made, and behind them full of
bushes of genepar' and other small hushes :
there they ordered their battle all in one
company, and by the report of their con-
stables they were to the number of fifty
thousand chosen men, who did set but
little by their lives ; alsotherewerea three-
score archers. Englishmen, stolen away
from Calais, thinking to have more profit
by Philip d'Arteveld. So thus everythitm
1 The French ward is 'seneBim,' r^ol Juiuper
286
THE CHRONICLES OF FRO I SS ART
was ordered, their carnage, women and
varlets ; and Philip d'Arteveld had his
page by him on a good courser, worth to a
great lord five hundred florins. He had
him not by him to the intent to fly away or
to steal from his company, but it was the
greater thereby to shew his estate,^ and to
mount on him, if need were, to follow the
chase of the Frenchmen. He had of the
town of Gaunt about a nine thousand men
well armed, whom he kept ever about his
own person ; for he had more trust in them
than in any other. And he and they with
their banners were in the foremost front,
and they of Alost and Grammont next
them, and then they of Courtray, of Bruges,
of Damme, of Sluys and of [the] Franc,
who were armed the most part with malles
and chapeaus of steel and hocquetons and
gauntlets of steel and baleine, each of them
bearing a stake tipped with iron. These
towns had difii^rence in arms and liveries,
to know one company from another : some
had coats of yellow and blue, some with
black ban4s on red coats, some bordered
with white on blue coats, some planted
with green and blue, some lozenged with
white and black, some quartered white and
red, some all blue and one quarter red,
some red cut upon white, ^ and their banners
according to their crafts with great holmesses
hanging at their girdles. So thus they
tarried for the daylight, which was near
approaching. Now I shall shew you the
order of the Frenchmen.
CHAPTER CCCCXX
How the constable and admiral of France
and the bastard of Langres went to see the
Flemings, and how they fortified themselves.
The French king and the lords about him
knew right well how the Flemings ap-
1 * But for state and for grandeur.'
2 The heraldic terms are loosely rendered by the
translator. It should be : ' Some had coats of
yellow and of blue, some had a black band (bende)
on a red coat, some chevrons of white on blue
coats, some had green and blue in pales (plantez),
some a fess lozenged with white and black, some
had coats quartered of white and red, some all blue
with one quarter red, some cut with red above and
white below.' The better text has 'palet^s' for
' plant^s,' and after it this : * some had coats
lozenged of blue and red, some a fess chequered
*-•*■« and black.'
proached near to them, and saw well there
was no remedy but battle, for there was no
motion made* of treaty of peace. The
Wednesday there was a cry made in the
town of Ypres, that all manner of people as
men of war should draw to the field to the
king and to do as they ought to do. Every
man obeyed the king's commandment, as
reason was, and drew to the field, except
such varlets as were commanded to keep
their masters* horses : howbeit, in the
vaward they had many horses for the
adventurers and to discover the fields.
Thus this Wednesday the Frenchmen kept
the fields near unto Rosebeque, and at
night the king made a supper to his three
uncles and to the constable of France and
to the lord of Coucy and to other great
lords strangers of Brabant, of Hainault, of
Holland, of Zealand, of Almaine, of Lor-
raine and of Savoy, who were come thither
to serve the king, whereof he thankened
them greatly. The same night the earl of
Flanders kept the watch, and with him a
six hundred spears and twelve hundred
men of other persons of war.
And after supper, when these lords were
departed, the constable abode still to speak
with the king and his uncles. It was
ordained by the king's council that the
constable of France, sir Oliver of Clisson,
should leave his office for the next day,
because it was thought that they should
have battle, and that the lord of Coucy
should occupy the office for that time, and
sir Oliver to be about the king's person :
and so, when he would have taken leave
of the king, the king said to him right
sweetly and amiably : * Sir constable, we
would that ye render up your office into
our hands for this night and to-morrow all
day : we have ordained another to occupy
the room, and we will that ye abide about
our person.' Of these words the constable
had great marvel, and answered and said :
* Right dear sir, I know well I cannot have
so great honour as to aid to keep your
person ; but, sir, this should be right dis-
pleasant to all my company and to all them
of the vaward. If they have not me in
their company, peradventure they may lose
more thereby than win. Sir, I say it not
because I should think myself so valiant,
that for lack of me they should not do well ;
but, sir, saving the correction of your
BEFORE THE BATTLE OF ROSEBEQUE
2S7
council, I say Iha.t nil these fifteen days
past I have done none other thing but
pursued mine office to the honour of you
and ofyour people ; aiid, sir, Ihave shewed
every man what they should do ; snd, sir,
if they fight to-morrow and see not me
among them, they will be abashed, whereby
I shall receive blame, and some will say
that I have devised many things and fly
away fi-om the first strokes. Sir, I require
youi grace, break not that halh been first
ordained. I ensure you ye shall have
profit thereby.' So the king and such as
were about him wist not what to say ; at
last the king right sagely said ; ' Constable,
I know well ye have in all causes right well
acquitted yourself and shall do : the king
my father, that dead is, loved and trusted
you above all other, and for the great trust
and affiance that he bad in you, therefore
I would have you about me in this business.'
' Right dear sir,' quolh the constable, 'ye
are so well accompanied and with so valiant
and so noble men, and are so ordered by
deliberation of wise counsel, that there is
nothing can be amended ; wherefore, sir,
ye and your council ought to be content ;
and I therefore require you in God's behalf
to suffer me alone in mine office, and I
trust lo-morrow ye shall have so good
fortune in your journey, that your friends
shall be glad and your enemies displeased.'
To the which words the king gave none
answer of a great space, but at last said :
' Constable, in the name of God and Saint
Denis exercise your office at your pleasure ;
I will speak no more thereof, iot ye sec
briber in this matter than I do, or such as
moved first the matter : be to-morrow with
me at my mass.' ' Sir,' quoth the constable,
' with right a good will ' : and so took leave
of the king and returned to his lodging.
And on the Thursday in the morning
every man apparelled themselves ready
armed save their heads, for they knew well
by all likelihood that they should have
baltle the same day. The French kine
heard mass betimes in the morning, and all
the great lords, with great devotion praying
to God to send them honour that day.
The same morning there arose a great mist,
so thai one could nol see an acre of breadth
before him, whereuf the lords were right
sore displeased, but they could not amend
. , it. And after mass the king and the con-
stable and other great loids went to council,
to determine what they should do ; and
there it was ordained that sir Oliver of
Clisson, constable of France, sir John de
Vienne, admiral of France, and sir William
of Poitiers, bastard of Langres, these three
should go and visit the demeanour of the
Flemings as near as they might, and to
came again and make report to the king
and to his uncles of the truth of everything,
and in the mean time the lord d'Allnet and
sir Hugh of Chatillon should order the
battles. So thus these three departed from
the king mounted on good horses, and rode
straight whereas they thought to find their
The same morning in the great mist the
Flemings rose and drew ti^elher in the
same strong place that Ihey had fortified,
and so stood together all in one battle till
it was eight of the clock, and could hear
nothing of the Frenchmen ; and then by
great pride the captains said each to
other : ' What do we here thus standing
still on our feet and Uke cold ? Why do
we not go forth with great courage, sith we
have so great will to fight with our enemies P
We tarry here for nothing ; the Frenchm
will n
: let u
t the
least to the Mount d'Or and take the ad-
vanta^ of the hUL ' These words so mul-
tiplied that they all agreed to advance
forth lo take the hill that was between them
and the Frenchmen ; and so then to escape
from the dike that was before them, they
went about the little wood that was behind
them and look the plain fields. And as
they came about this wood, the foresaid
three knights advised them by great leisure,
and so rode in coasting their battle within
a bow-shot of Ihem : and when they were
passed on the left side, then they rode again
on their right side, so that Ihey well advised
their whole battle : the Flemings saw them
right well, but they brake none array for
all them.
Then Philip d'Arteveld said softly to
his captains : ' Let us dress us and make
us ready to the battle, for our enemies
are near us. I see right well the three
knights thai have passed and repassed by
115 have well aviewed out battle.' Then
they drew all into one battle, as tbey went
to the hill. Then Philip said aloud : 'Sirs,
when we come to the baltle, let us think
288
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
on our enemies, how they were discomfited
at the battle of Bruges by reason that we
held ourselves close together. Let us be-
ware that we open not : every man bear
his weapon right before him and interlace
your staves over your arms, one within
another, whereby they shall not enter upon
us : ^ and let us go a good pace by leisure,
and nother turn on the left hand nor on
the right, and shoot our guns all at once
and shoot with our cross-bows, and thus we
shall abash our enemies.'
When Philip d*ArteveId had thus ordered
his men and set his battle in array and
shewed them what they should do, then he
made out a wine of part of his men, such
as he l>est trusted,' and by him was his page
with his courser, to whom he said : * Go
thy way with my horse behind yonder bush,
and when thou seest the Frenchmen fly,
then bring me my horse and cry my cry ;
then men will give thee room, to the in-
tent that I may follow in the chase with
the foremost.* The page did as he was
commanded. Then he set beside him on
a wing forty archers Englishmen, whom he
had in wages.
Now behold if Philip ordered himself
well or not. I think, and so did many
such as were expert in battles, that he did
not well nor wisely in one thing, and that
was when he departed in the morning out
of the strong place that he was in ; for it is
to \yt thought that the Frenchmen would
never have sought them there to have fought
with them, for they could not have done it
without great damage : but like fools they
thought to shew themselves valiant and
little fearing their enemies, and so they
were served thereafter.
CHAPTER CCCCXXI
The manner of the battle of Rosebeque, and
how the Flemings were discomfited by the
counsel of the three foresaid knights, who
had aviewed all their behaving.
So these three foresaid knights returned to
the king and to the battles, the which were
1 ' Let each l)ear his staff straight before him,
and interlace your arms, so that none may enter in
ainoni; you.'
- ' He set himself on a wing formed of those of
''n in whom he had most trust.'
ready in good array as they ought to b
for there were many noble and wise m<
and well expert in arms both in the vawa
and in the rearguard and in the king
battle, and they knew right well what ougi
to be done, for there was the flower
all the good chivalry of the world. J
thus every man gave these three knigh
way to come to the king : the lord cSc
spake first, inclining his body to tl
king, doing off his hat, and said : * Sir, I
merry : yonder people be all yours : oi
varlets shall beat them. * « Constable, * quo!
the king, * God grant it : let us go forwar
then m the name of God and Saint Denis
Then such knights as were appointed t
attend on the kmg's body were set in goo
order ; and there the king made many nei
knights, and so did every lord in his ow
battle, and divers banners were new raise
up. Then it was ordained, that when the
should join to fight, that the king's batU
with the Oriflamme of France should h
in the forefront, and the vaward should
pass by aside on a wing on the one side c
the king, and the rearward to pass by
little on the other side of the king, so tha
all three battles might at once close abou
the Flemings' battle, who came close to
gether all in one battle. So the arearwan
were shewed of this appointment, the eai
of Eu, the earl of Blois, the earl of Sain
Pol, the earl of Harcourt, the lord o
Chatillon and the lord Fere were chief o
that ward, and before the earl of Bloi
there was made banneret the young lord o
Havreth : ^ sir Thomas Diest and sir Tame
Havreth, bastard, were made knights : ther(
were made the same day by the report o
the heralds four hundred threescore anc
seven knights.
And so then the three knights departec
from the king and went into the vaward
whereas their rooms were. Then incon
tinent the Oriflamme was displayed thai
sir Peter of Villiers did bear, and some say
as they have found written, that it wai
never before seen displayed against Chris-
tian men. But then in that voyage thert
was great question made whether it should
be displayed or not ; howbeit, divers reasons
considered, finally it was determined to be
displayed as then, because the FlenuMS
1 * And there on that day before the carl of Bka
the young lord of Havreth raised his banoer.*
BATTLE OF ROSEBEQUE, 1382 \Nov, ^■!)
held the opinion contrary lo pope Clement,
and therefore the Frenchmen called ihem
Urbanists; wherefore they said they were
heretics and out of the true belief: that
was the chief cause that it was borne and
displayed in Flanders. This Oriflamme is
a predous banner and was sent first from
heaven for a great mysteiy, the which was
ever a great comfort to them that saw it."^
And the same day it shewed some of his
virtue, for all the morning there was a great
thick mist, that one could scant see another,
but as soon as it was displayed and lift up
on high, the mist brake away and the sky
was as clear as any time in the year before.
The lords of France were greatly rejoiced
when they saw the sun shine so clear that
lliey might see all about Ihera ; this greatly
did reconifort them. It was great beauty
then to regard the banners and streamers
wave with the wind, and [all were silent
nor none uttered a word, but] beheld well
the great battle of the Flemings, who ever
stil! approached fast joined tcgether with
their staves upright, that it seemed' a little
grove of wood, there were so many of them.
CHAPTER CCCCXXII
How the Flemings were discomfited al
battle of Rosebeque.
I WAS as then informed of the lord of
Hconnevorst, who shewed me how that he
was there and saw it, and so did divers
other, that when the Oriflamme was dis-
played and the mist gone away, there came
a dove and made divers flights over Ihe
king's battle; and a Hllle before they fought,
she sat down on one of the king's banners,
tile which every man took for a good token.
So thus approached the Flemings and began
to shoot guns and arrows feathered with
steel. Thus the battle b^an, the which
was right sharp and ISerce at the Urst en.
countering; for the Flemings set on proudly,
thrusting with their spears and shoulders
like wild boars, and they held themselves
so close together thai they could not be
M *And they cvue on at a good pace all close
tafl;cthcr, [htlr 5tavva all held straishl up on high
opened. There was with the shot of the
guns at the lirst thrust slain of the French
part the lord de Wavrin, bannetel, Morelet
of Halewyn and James d'Ere, and so there-
with the king's battle was reculed ; but the
vaward and the arearward passed on forth
and enclosed about the Flemings and held
them strait, I shall shew you how. On
these two wings the men of arms fiercely
assaulted, with their strong spears well
headed with heads of fine steel, wherewith
they pierced the Flemings' coats of mail
into the hard bones, so that the Flemings
were glad to eschew the strokes. So thus
these men of arms kept the Flemings so
short, that they could not well help Sem-
selves, nor put down their arms 10 give
any strokes ; so there were many that lost
their strength and breath and fell one upon
another, and so died for lack of breath
without striking of any stroke. And there
was Philip d'Arteveld wounded and beaten
down among his men of Gaunt, and when
his page with his horse saw the discomfiture
of his master, he departed and left his
master, for he could not help him, and so
rode to Courtray towards Gaunt.
Thus these battles assembled together.
So the Flemings' battle was enclosed on
both sides, so that they could pass no way :
then the king's battle came forth again, the
which was before a little drawn aback.
The men of arms beat down the Flemings
on every side: some had good axes of ste^
wherewith they brake asunder bEissenets,
and some had mallcs of lead, wherewith
they gave such strokes that they beat all
down to the earth before them : and as the
Flemings were beaten down, there were
pages ready to cut their throats with great
kmves, and so slew them without pity, as
though they had been but dc^s. The
strokes on the baasenets were so great that
no man.could bear other speak lor noise :
I heard reported that though all the ar-
mourers of Paris and Brussels had been
working together, could not have made so
great a noise. There were some that ad-
vanced so sore into the press, that they
were slain and overcome for lack of breath,
as sir Louis of Cousan, a gentle knight of
Berry, and sir Floton of Revel and divers
other, which was great damage : but so
great a battle as the Flemings were could .
not be overcome without great log^j^^^
ago
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSAPr
young knights and s(]uires will lightly ad-
vance themselves to get honour, ami the
press was so great and the business so
}x;rilous, that wnen they were in the thick
of the press, they cv^uld not relieve them-
selves, but were trwiden under foot to
ileath ; and so by that means there were
divers of the Frenchmen slain, but to no
great numlter. The Flemings were slain
oy hea}>s, one umn another ; and when
they that were l)enind saw the discomfiture
of their comixiny, they were abashed, and
cast down their (xivises and armours and
turneil and fleil away towanl Courtray and
other places, and had mimi of nothing but
to save themselves ; and the Bretons and
Frenchmen chasevl them through dikes,
groves and bushes, and ever fought and
slew them downright : there were many
rted between Courtray and the battle* to go
to Gaunt. ^ This battle was on the Mount
d'Or l)etween Courtray and Rosebcque in
the year of our Lon.1 God a thousand three
hundreil fourscore and two, the Thursi.lay
next before Advent, inNoveml)erthe twenty-
seventh day, the French king Charles then
lK»ing of fourteen year of age.
CHAPTER CCCCXXIII
How the body of Philip d'Arteveld was
brought to the king and so hanged up.
and how the town of Courtray was brent.
Thus, as ye have heani, the Flemings
were discomfited on the Mount d'Or, their
pride abated and Philip d*Arteveld slain ;
and of them of Gaunt and of their partners
slain with him in the field to the number
of nine thousand, according to the report
of the heralds, and in the chase twenty-live
thousand slain ; and the battle endured not
post half an hour, or it was discomfited.
And after this discomfiture, the which ' was
right honourable for all Christendom and
for all nobleness, for if these said villains
had achievet.1 their intents, there had never
so great cruelty have been seen before in
all the world, for the commonties in divers
1 ' Whither they retreated to go to Gaunt ' : but
another readina: is 'whither they retreated for
safety ' (Ii sauf garantV
- The words * And after * and ' the which ' spoil
the ^tructurr of the sentence and are not found in
the best text.
countries had rebelled, to have destroyed
all nobleness. WTiat think you that they
of Paris would say when they knew of this
' discomfiture ? I think they were nothiif
joyful thereof.
Thus when this battle was achieved, at
last the}' left the chase and trumpets sowned
the retreat : and so every man drew to his
lodging, and the vaward lodged forward,
thereas the Flemings had lien the n^
Iwfore, and there took their ease and were
well refreshed, for new purveyance came
to them from Ypres; and so that night
■ they made great fires with such pavises and
staves as the Flemings had brought to the
tield. And when the king was in his
lo^iging, there was pight up a pavilion of
j crimson sendal, right noble and rich, and
there the king's uncles unarmed him, and
divers other lords of France came thither
to see him, as reason required. Thai the
kiiig said to them that were about him:
* Sirs, if Philip d'Arteveld be alive or dead,
I would fain see him. * They answered hot
they would do their pain that he should see
him. And then there was madeacry thioa|^
the host, that whosoever could find F^
d'Arteveld should have a hundred franb
for his labour. Then there were many
that ^-ent amorig the dead bodies, who
were nigh despoiled of all their clothes: it
last there was such search made that he
>*-as found and known by a varlet that had
served him long time before, and he knew
him very well by divers tokens. So he
was drawn and brought before thekii^
(xivilion, and the king beheld him a kx^
space and so did all the other lords, and be
was turned and returned to see what famls
or ^-ounds he had, but they could sec do
wound whereby he should die ; but it was
judged that he fell in a little dike and a
great many of the Gauntois on him, whcR^
by he was pressed to death. And so wbea
' they had well r^^arded him, then at \tA
. he was taken from thence and hai^
, upon a tree. This was the end of PMip
d Arteveld.
1 Sir Daniel of Halewyn, who was within
■ Oudenarde with other kn^hts and squires,
the which had kept the garrison right
honourably, the Wednesday before the
battle, because he knew well that the kiif
I was in Flanders and should have battle
(with the Flemings, late in the night he
I caused four faggots to be set afiie a.iid
, a-high out of the town, in tokening to them
I timt lay at the siege how their siege should
I be laiEed. The Thursday tidii^ cam
the lord of HeTSelte how that their i
I known, Ihey dislodged and look their way
. to Gaunt and left behind them the most
I part of their provision ; but they wjlhin
; Ondenaide knew nothing thereof till the
I next morning ; and when they knew there-
1 of, they issued out and brought in great
, milage that they found hidden ihereabouL'
I The same Thursday at night tidings came
I to Bruges of the discomfiture of the battle,
whereof they were greally abashed and
'Lo,
destruction. If the Bretons come hither
and enter into our town, we shall all be
pilled and slain, for they will have of us no
mercy.' Then the burgesses and their
wives took all their best jewels and riches
and put it into ships to save it, to send it
by water into Holland and into Zealand ;
in this case tbev were four days, so that
lliey left no dish nor cup of silver in all
Bruges, but all was pot into ships for doubt
I of the Bretons. When Peter du Bois, who
, lay there sote wounded with the hurts that
he took at the passage of Coramines, under-
stood the discomlituie of his company and
how that Philip d'Arleveld was dead and
slain, and how the people of Bruges
so abashed, then he was in no surety of
himself, and so determined to depart and
to go to Gaunt, for he thought that they of
Gaunt would also be sore abashed, and so
made a litter to he dressed for him, for he
could not ride. Ye may know well, when
these tidings came to Gannt of the
of dieir men and of the death of Philip
d'Arteveld, they were so sore disconifileii,
lliat if the Frenchmen had come thither
the day of the battle or the next day after
r,r the Saturday after, or ever that Peler
du Bois came thither, they would have
buffered them to have entered into th£
town without any resistance, to have doni
what they had list. But the Frenchmer
I ' Gnu pillaEc ar knivES and baggagc-csrts ani
■blj' some eomiption, are not found in the liesl
look no heed thereto : they thought right
well to be lords thereof at their pleasure,
seeing that Philip d'Arteveld was dead ;
they .thought surely that the people of
Gaunt would have yielded them to the
king's mercy ! howbeit, they did not so,
for they alone made greater war than ever
ihey did before, as ye shall hear aRei in
this history.
On the Friday the king dislodged from
Kosebeque because of the air of [he dead
bodies, and he was counselled to go to
Courtray to refresh him there. The Hase
and divers other knights and squires, such
as knew the country, leapt on their horses
and galloped straight to Courtray and
enlered into the town, for there was made
no defence against them. The burgesses
and their wives and all other men, women
and children enlered into cellars and into
ihe churches to fiy Irom the death, so that
it was pity to see it. Such as entered first
into Courtray had great profit 1^ pillage,
and 30 then after (here entered the French-
men and Bretons, and every man took up
their lodging as they came ; and the king
entered the first day of December. Then
there was a new perseculion made in the
town on the Flemings, such as were hidden
about; fnr as Ihey were fouod out Ihey were
slain, for there was no man taken to mercy.
The Frenchmen and they of that town
hated each other moitally because of a
battle that was once fought before Court-
ray, whereas sir Robert Arlois and a great
rt of the flower of France were slain,
was shewed ihe king how that there
was in Courtray in the church of our Lady
a chapel, wherein were five hundred gilt
spurs pertaining of old time to the lords
and knights of France, such as had been
slain at the said battle of Courlray, the
which was in the year of our Lord God
a thousand Ihree hundred and two, and
they of Courtray once a year made thereof
a great triumph and solemnity. Wherefore
Ihe king said it should be dearly bought ;
and so it was after, for at his defiailing he
set the town afire, to the intent that il
should be known ever after how that Ihe
French king had been [here. And anon
after that Uie king [was] thus come to
Courtray, there came thither a fifty spears
from the garrison of Oudenarde with sir
Daniel of Halewyn to see the king, who
2*IS
THF cHx:x::i£s cf fkozssart
iiuuk* ihcni »ii;ht i;:''*^^ ohccr jr.ii -j*^ \A jII
ihc K»rvls ; .i:ui vbs^cii li'.cv ha-i l-cvv. :>.«:r:i
a J.iv» then i"'K*y tcivir:ic\i ;.o OuL-ciiiiris: ;■.•
cii vrrKKS ccccxxiv. ccccxw
li" Torvn jr ^"u^s vtz^
<\t"\: ■•;»«» ■*.".••/».;«■'•. rttytM^ :i,ii\jrj ••tint-
.'**■ iii'i Ilu: nof .'*C£« rtzrr :n '/t .t*r,-
si,i:u:ftjf' : it' y.'cminiTT, :vus SitzrtJ y .'.it' Ji^r:
s.ktu : 'u:r ^z^lS jta .u'tnt/ : Iw-tf.-rv.-".
Sfi-^:':j t -Wvi j/f r.vir zrtaiy i'« J i ; ic
.1': v iri j-iusoi .: ':o vul iov* i!:o :L:a:::s
rari.-ina -verr; rj-iacoiei a: !:;s Tle-iiurr;.
.y I'.l /.'■/. -i X y. — J"u^ jr J'ufU i-ni xn
"^i.' ■ ;t"«>t. ":•;;" u/tJi.'- >-•-■ ."«^-ir.i:>. '.'i.- i^/f
-jrr'u:' jrj. .A/rt" Si-'ssftoJ :i£ cin^
I'zns :j .{ -'ZJ. ijzrm'^ .sprj::^: ;« : it .-.Tt' i
. ■' jntv..-'..-.- z.tJ .zpri't/tsm^ -•■>*• .wT-,- J/""
Ji:-.'i:,".V.- .'J -t .\:;f2:-: jr S'jrtiur:.
F':T v.rr . -'/i.';/f a*v 'i'aj- ■ —
r':r: .i::::: Mrr'.e-: i: .Vrros. jm: "."'.e :i:y -vis
ABA * A^ w.H^ -Ate v>a- *k« - -«ftlh « .^v«fc -*>■«- ^bL
I ■* i '" ' "^i V . ' ■ I'l .f r*:^ . Hs. I' T tuct- "-via
:' :i. \\^z< . A-.:^ - :^'ir. ; jI=<; :;:ey !.:ii
'. ; .." ; : ^:u: "ri —1 .'.". 'IvdZ '■' :va^'i inii
: - V -• : -. V::' : T.." ."Hl "Vltil t ic iinj^.
\ .. ;-:.:: :.:.;: -:'ri-:i v.c^.i "r-p.i :«:i:::^
: ■. 7 . : - - : ! ; :.: : :v.i.--i'ils f ?rx:.-=
.J .-* ;^ .- = _ -V .--L^ 3*-i U«i.
-'■■«■
■ - V -■" ••■ l""^:- ■ ■ Tr" -•■I."' I • nr'i*!*^'*
:.viv 'eav- :t the kin^ and went to TJIU
<o -i^Qij the king juumeyed rhar he posnd
?;;p.'nne. N'?yi:a and Compiegxxe. and so
.-anie :..' S;iilis ami there rested ; and lO hs
:iien :( war were Ii>iged in die vflla^
■:etwe?;n Scniis and Meaiix in Brie and oo
the r'.ver or Marae and abouc Saint-Doii^
so tha: all the country was tall of men of
•*ar. .Vnd io thea die Igrng depazted
:'r:m Senlis and w^nz coward Paris; aiod
>.e ?er:: reri-'re his mincers to prepue fcr
!ii:n !2:s lodgiaif ai tiie castle of JLoone,
and a^^ his three -ancles sent of their so-
vanti to rrecare their 'odgings, ^rui jn like
■v.be sc iid :cher '.i:r:s : and all this was done
vr a ^aacei anii wile. :"i:r ihe king zwr Is
■i:r:s were not decerruined to enter so
<ud-:enly iau-: Paris. :".:r they doubted rfwi
:i r IT'S : jul they iid this' to prove wfafi
.-.-un:-^' nance i:ni ^rier they cf Paris wwU
niaxi a: tiie ■.iin^'s entry": they tfao^
tiiey w:u:d malv- this assay before! fie
ser.anLi that went reTi-re were commanded
: : iay. ii' any man iemanded of fhmn if
the liini; were .-:minjj. that they wcoM be
thers inc'-'ntinenc : by the 'which the
I'arusians adv-so: amonjj themselves to be
arme-i and f? *aew the iinij at his any
wha: -juissmce they were of and what men
:t war tiiey were a!:le t..^ aiaks to serve de
iini;;. when :c -leased him: but they had
':een je^:er :: have sitten still m'thar
houses :''.r t::e ^lew tlia: thev made ws
-:aver-: f: -jieir jjreat servirace. as «
*hall hear ir.iv. Tiey >aid they did it ir
^:rd. :u: :: -vas tal^en to eviL And
whereas .i:e li:.-^ i;:i:u:d have lodged at
Lou'-re. he xa ie^.::s "cdjjtnj; t-: be ?rei»ied
a: 'iour^ec : and -Jien v::ice ran 'through
Far-s hi.w the !iin;; was near at hand to
inter :n: : I'arisw Then mere rh-tn twentr
:h.:usand Parisians anie: them and xasaed
:uc mc: :he -ieiiis a::-i :r:er^i themsel^O
:n a :a:r ■:at'.:e :e^w-en >aint-La2are md
Viris ::w--: Yi [-.rmarrre. and they hac
v:-;i -.hum :r-'ss- :ca<. va -ses and nolle
ready a:;''ur-^-.;ci. as :h»;uj;h thev shcnli
id-i r^uchE ::ic-'r..:nenL :n ":a:t:e. '
The <:n'^ '^as is then a: 3*:ur:jet. and all
:he !-.t:.-. md tjy:;:er - ; "hem 'jvas hr:ugitt
I'.l :he 'idiniT^ ;i i!! the :i.-.:ieani:ur :f them
:i "ar*.>. Thei: v^ ' r:* su^i: ; * .\h. w
-na*- iee "he rnde ;i" -.ht's; r*. jaids : whoe^
". re ii: :hcy nr^v ,hew tiieir estate? E
ihey w':uid have icr-ed tiie '<'n.r jq •^g
THE KING'S RETURN TO PARIS
same point as they be in now, when the
long went into Flanders, then had they
done well ; but ihey had no mind so to do,
Ihcy rather prayed to God that we should
never return again.' The which words
divers that were there helped well forward
to the intent to grieve the Parisians, saying;
' If the king be well counselled, he shall
not adventure himself to come among such
people as cometh against him with an army
arranged in battle. They should rather
have come humbly with procession and
have rung all the belis in Paris in thanking
God of the victory that the king had in
Flanders." Thus the lords were abashed
bow they should maintain themselves.
Finally it was appointed that the con-
stable of France, the lord d'Albret, the lord
of Coucy, sir Guy of Tiemouille and sir John
of Vienne should go and speak with them
and demand of Ihem the cause why they be
issued out of Paris in so great a number
armed in order of battle against the kin^ ;
the which thing was never seen before ir
P'rance : and upon their answer the lord:
said the king should take advice : ' they
were wise enough lo older as great a matter
as that was and greater. So these said
lords departed from the king without liar-
ness, and for the more surety of their
business they look with them three or foui
heralds and sent them somewhat before tc
the Parisians, and said ; ' Sirs, go ye or
liefore to yonder people of Paris, ant
demand of them a safe-conduct for us to gc
and come, till we have spoken with then
from the king.'
These heralds departed and rode a great
pace and came lo these people ; and when
the Parisians saw them coming, they thought
full little they had come lo have spoken
with them, they thought they had but
ridden to Paris as olher did. The heralds
had on their coat armours, and when they
approached near to the Parisians, they said
on high; ' Where be the masters f Where
be the rulers? Which of you be captains?
We be come to you sent from the lords.'
Then some of them of Paris perceived well
by these words that they had not done
well : they cast down their heads and said :
accord and at the king's commandment and
the lords'. Therefor
|^'The«
: what ye will to us.' 'Sirs,' qnoth
the heralds, ' the lords thai sent us hither,'
and named them, ' they know not what ye
think or intend : they require you that they
may peaceably without peril come and
speak with you, and return again to the
king and shew him the answer that ye
make to Ihera : otherwise they dare not
come lo you.' ' By our faiths, sirs,' quoth
they, ' they ought to say no such words to
us but of their gentleness;' we think ye
do but mock us. ' ' Surely, sirs,' qnoth the
heralds, 'we speak it in good certainly.'
' Then,' quoth the Parisians, ' go your way
and say to them that they may rame at
their pleasure to us without danger or peril ;
for they shall have no hurt for none of
us, for we are all ready lo full^l their
commandments.'
Then the heralds returned to the lords
and shewed them as ye have heard. Then
the four lords rode forth and their company,
and came to the Parisians, whom they
found in good array and order of battle,
and there were more than twenty thnusand
nialles. And as the lortls passed by them
and beheld them well, within themselves
they praised much thefr matmer ; and also
as they passed by, ever the Parisians in-
clined themselves to them. And when
these lords were as in the midst among
them, then they rested and stood still, and
the constable spake a-bigh and said : 'Ye
people of Paris, what bath moved you lo
issue out of the city in this order of battle ?
It seemeth ye will fight against the king
our sovereign lord, whose subjects ye be or
should be.' 'Sir,' quoth they, 'saveyour
grace, we were never of will lo do anything
against the king ; but, sir, we be issued oul
for none other cause but to shew Ihe kii^
what puissance the Parisians be of. The
king is but young, he never as yet saw it ;
and without he see it he cannot know it,
nor how he may he served, if need be.'
' Sirs," quolh the conslable, 'ye speak well :
but we say unlo you from the king that as
al this time he will not see you in this
manner, for this that ye have done sufficeth."
Therefore we counsel you lo return again
J
294
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
peaceably to Paris, every man to his own
lodging, and do off your harness, if ye
intend that the king shall come hither.'
*Sir,* quoth they, *we shall with right a
good will fuIBI your commandment ' : and
so therewith they all returned into Paris,
every man to his own house to unarm him.
And the said four lords returned to the
king and shewed unto him all the words
that ye have heard before.
Then it was determined that the king, his
uncles and lords, and certain men of arms
with them, should enter into Paris, and the
great band to bide without the city round
about, to give the more fear to the Parisians.
And the lord of Coucy and the marshal of
Sancerre were ordained, that as soon as the
king were entered into Paris, that they
should take down the leaves of the gates of
the four principals of the city, toward
Saint-Denis and Saint-Maur, so that the
gates might stand open day and night, for
all manner of men of war to enter in and
out at their pleasure, to the intent to master
them of Paris, if need were ; and also they
to take down all the chains in every street,
to ride in and out at their pleasure : and as
it was ordained, so it was done.
And so the king entered into Paris and
lodged at Louvre, and his uncles by him,
and the other lords in divers lodgings.
So thus the gates were taken out of the
gonds ^ and laid down on the ground, and
the chains of every street taken down and
brought into the palace. Then the Parisians
were in great doubt and feared that they
should be overrun, so that none of them
durst look out into the street, nor open
door nor window : and thus they were a
three dajrs in great peril and fear to receive
greater damage ; as they did, for it cost
many of them great finance and ransom ;
for they were called into the chamber of
council one after another, such as the lords
would have, and so there they were ran-
somed, some at six thousand franks, some
at three and some at one ; so that there was
levied in Paris to the king's profit, to his
uncles' and to his ministers', the sum of four
hundred thousand franks : there was nothing
demanded of the poor people, but of the
threat masters and such as might bear it :
they were right happy that might escape
^ ' Hors cles gontz.' The word 'gouges' in the
* "\nslation is assumed to be a misprint for ' gondes.'
with paying of ransom. And every man
by himself was fain to bring their harness in
sacks to the castle of Beaut^, otherwise I
called the castle of Vincennes, and there it !
was closed in a great tower, and their
malles also. Thus the Parisians were dealt
withal, to give ensample to all other good
towns of France, and there were raised up
subsidies, gabelles, aids, fouages, douzimes,
treizimes and all other such things, and also "
all the plain country about clean rifled.
CHAPTER CCCCXXVII
SUMMARY,— Jean des Mares and numy
others ivere executed at Paris ; and edso in
other toztms, as Rouen^ RheintSy Orleans^
many were either put to death or ransomed,
Francis Ackerman and the Gauntois took
and plundered Ardenbourg.
CHAPTER CCCCXXVIII
Of the alliance that was purchased between
the Englishmen and the Flemings, and of
the bulls that pope Urban sent into
England to destroy the Clementines.
The earl of Flanders, who lay at Lille,
understood how the Gauntois advanced
themselves to ride and to overrun the country
and to destroy that they might. He was
right sore displeased : he thought they had
not had the wit nor puissance so to do,
sith that Philip d'Arteveld was dead.
Howbeit, his council said to him : ' Sir, ye
know well and ye have always heard say
how the Gauntois are right subtle people,
the which they have well shewed and urill
shew ; and also again they have been in
England and are returned again : and
specially Francis Ackerman, who was ccnn-
panion to Philip d'Arteveld in all his feats,
as long as he liveth, ye shall have war with
I them. Also, sir, we know well he hath
made great alliance with the king of
England for the town of Gaunt and hath a
certain pension out of England secretly by
John Salemon, who is pure English and
dwelleth under you in the town of Bruges,
and hath done the space of this twenty-four
year. And to verify that this is true, Rasse
of Vorde, Louis de Yos and John Scotelare
ENGLISH SYMPATHY WITH THE FLEMINGS
295
of Ciaunt, anil the cleric that procoreth lo
be bishop of Gaunt, all these are still
behind in Etiglsnd to perrorm this alliance :
and, sir, ye shall hear more truer tidings
than we can tell you, or the mid of May
The earl of Flanders believed well all
these sayings to be true, and so they were
indeed. Then he began to iniBgine against
this John Salemon and on the Englishmen
dwelling in Bruges. Then he caused them
to be summoned to be at a certain ^ay
assigned before the earl at Lille ; and so
the earl's servants came and sunjmoned
John Salemon and divers other rich Eng-
lishmen, or they were ware thereof, com-
mnnding them the liAeenth day after to be
with the earl at his castle of Lille. When
the Englishmen heard thereof, they were
Eore abashed and took counsel t<^ethei,
having great marvel why the earl should
send for them. All things considered, they
doubted greatly, for they knew well the earl
was fierce and fell in his haste. Then Ih^
said among themselves : ' He that keepeth
not his body, keepeth nothing : we doubt
lest the eari be informed sore against ns ;
for with Francis Ackerman, who hath a
pension of the king of England, when he
was in England there Was with him two
burgesses of this town of Bruges, and per-
adventure they have made some informa-
tion against us to the earl, for as now they
be on his part.' So on this purpose rested
the Englishmen, that they durst not abide
the earf s judgment nor to go to Lille at the
day before limited : so they departed from
Bruges and went to Sluys and did so much
that they found a ship ready apparelled, and
sii they bought it with their money and so
departed and sailed till they arrived at
London. And when the earl of Flanders
was informed of this matter and saw that
the Englishmen appeared not at their day,
he was sore displeased and sent incontinent
to Bruges and caused to be seized all that
ever could be found pertaining to the Eng-
lishmen, and all their heritages given and
sold, and John Salemon clean banished out
of Flanders for a hnndred year and one day,
and his companions ; and such as were
taken were put in prison, whereas some
died and some recovered again all that ever
they had lost.
There is a common proverb, the which
is true, and that is how envy never dielh.
I say it because Englishmen are right
envious of the wealth of other, and always
hath been. It was so that the king of
EnglatKl and his uncles and the nobles of
England were right sore displeased of the
wealth and honour that vras fallen to the
French king and to the nobles of France
at the battle of Rosebeque. And the
knights of England spake and said to each
other : ' Ah, Saint Mary, how the French-
men are now mounted in pride by the over-
throwing of a sort of rude villains. Would
to God Philip d'Arteveld had had of our
men a two thousand spears and six thou-
sand archers : there had not then scaped
one Frenchman, hut other slain or taken :
bm an God will, this glory shall not long
endure them. Now we have a fair advan-
tage to enter into Flanders, for the country
is now conquered for the French king, and
we trust to conquer it again for the king of
England. It sheweth well at this time
that the earl of Flanders is greatly subject
to the French king and that he will please
him in all points, when nnr merchants
dwelling in Bruges, and have dwelt there
beyond this thirty year, be now banished
and chased out of Flanders. The time
hath been seen they durst not have done it ;
but now they dare do none otherwise for
fear of the Frenchmen ; we trust it shall
not abide long in this point.' This was
the language among the Englishmen
through the realm of England ; therefore
it was to be supposed that this was done
but by envy.
In this season he that wrote himself pope
Urban the sixth came by the sea from
Rome to Genes, whereas he was well re-
ceived and reverently of the Genoways, and
there he kept his residence. Ye know well
how all England was oheisant to him, as
well the Church as the people, because the
French king was Clementine, and all
France. This Urban, on whom the Eng-
lishmen and divers other countries believed,
he being at Genes advised how he might
annoy the French king, and so he thought
to send into England iat saccour ; I shall
shew you by what maimer. He sent his
bulls to the archbishops and bishops of
England, making mention how he assoiled
from pain and from sin all such as would
aid to destroy the Clementines ; for he
2tj6 THE CSr.^OXrCLFS OF FKOrSSAA^r
knew woU Iv^w Clemom hU aiiversin- hat! EngLind, the which were received witik
ilor.o in like wise in iho realm ot Frinoe. great joy.
am: iloth vlaxlv. ana :hoy ca:'.e\l :h? Urban- Then :he prelates in their jurisdictioB
i'iK n t'.eir tai:h .xr. : ':vi:e:":o I'e but vL^gs. be;;an to preach this voyage in manner of a
b':-^-.v. o. vr all hi* al^\ut:oi:*. w.y'.i -■; si'vir. ar.i i--^j-:rlir^ :? the pope's bulls be
r*A*^' -or.*. "'. war ^i:hoi;: raor.i'v. :Vr aisfr. :>a: =■:<: ^ve ~'sc par ice: obtained: a&l
v*f" »-.ir '-.w: t^o; by par.vK*. "or :>.<?> se: ~.-: \fc>.:s^e- ;r .::<;•.: :- :>.a: aetrsoti and give his
r' v> :!^et;r-y Vi::"ir. :?.e artio*? oc i^a:>. ^.tv.s :; ;r.*>e 7-ari.:r.i, wxs clean asscik-i
V'-o' >e ».u':cr*v.rvV. '>x:*:o>: :>»rte rc'.ls :.- -r.-.f. 7.-..= ar;. ~ni >in : ind acccrdirg M
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■ ' ■ . ■ * * > -. • .: : ■ -»■,*■.:.: .■ ":" •^■.. " v- • * .• .*; . l^-r .-.liCir "ns
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\ ' . . '. s.-. '-^ ^ . : - .;r *.: *.■.:»>.■ ' " :; rij" ■. 1 -•- .-cainTi
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< \.. -I"'-- ^-■' ■* ,*."■■ " "i.t.!^ 1 1" '-
-«■
CRUSADE OF THE BISHOP OF /iORWICII. 1383
297
any puissance to fight with Iheni or not.
Also there was another point contrary lo
the duke of Lancasler, yet he had great joy
of that viage, forjjeneiallyalllhecoinmonty
of England more inclined to tie with the
bishop of Norwich than to go with the duke
of Lancaster : for a long season the duke
was not in the grace of the people ; and
also they thought the realm of France
ID be [a] nearer journey than into Spain ;
and also some said that the duke of Lan-
caster for covetousness of the silver and
gold that was gathered of the Church and
of the pardons, whereof he should have his
part, that he diii incline rather thereto for
the profit than for HJiy devotion. But they
said how the bishop of Norwich represented
the pope and was t^ him instituted, whereby
the greatest part of England gave lo him
great faith, and the king also.
And BO there was ordained at the wages
of the Church to go with this bishop
Henry Spenser, divers good knights and
squires of England and ol Gascoyne, as the
lord Beaumont, sir Hugh Calverley, sir
Thomas Trivet, sir William Helmon, sir
John Ferrers, sir Hugh Spenser, cousin to
the bishop, son to his brother, sir William
Faringdon, sit Matthew Redman, captain
of Berwick ; all these were of England : and
of Gascons there was the lord i^ Chateau-
neuf and sir John his brother, Raymond
Marsan, Gnillonet de Pans, Garriot Vigier,
John de Cauehilan and divers other, and
all counted they were a five hundred spears
and fifteen hundred of other men, and a
great number of priests, because the mailer
touched the Church and moved by the
These men of war provided themselves
for the matter, and passage was delivered
them at Dover and at Sandwich, and this
was about Easter ; and so Ihey passed over
little and little, as they list ; this voyage
was in the manner of a croisey. Thus they
pa-ssed the sea, or the bishop and other
captains were fully ready ; for the bishop
and sir Hugh Calvertey, sir Thomas Trivel
and sir William Helmon were with the
king and his council, and there they sware
solemnly in the king's presence to bring
truly to an end their voyage, nor lo fight
against no man nor country that held with
pope Urban, hut to fight and make war
against them that ivere of the opinion of
Clement. Thus Ihey swaie, and then the
king by the advice of his council said lo
them ; ' Sir bishop and all ye, when ye
come to Calais, I will ye sojourn there in
that frontier the space of a month, and in
that term I shali refresh you with new men
of war, of arms and archers, and I shall
send you a good marshal, a valiant man,
sir William Beauchamp; for I have sent
I for him, he is in the iruu-ch of Scotland,
whereas be keepelh frontier against the
Scots, for the truce between the Scots and
us falleth now at Saint John's tide: and
after his return ye shall have him in your
company without any fail. Therefore I
would ye should tarry for him, for he shall
be to you right necessary both for bis
wisdom and good counsel.' The bishop
and his company promised the kir^g so to
do, and thus they departed from the king
and took the sea at Dover and arrived at
Calais the twenty-third day of April, the
year of our I^rd God a thousand three
hundred fourscore and three.
The same season there was captain at
Calais sir John Devcreux, who received the
bishop and his company with great joy ;
and so they landed little and little, and all
their horses and ba^age, and so lodged
in Calais and thereabout in bastides that
they made daily -. and so there they tarried
till the fourth day of May, abiding for their
marshal sir William Beauchamp, who came
not of all that lime. When the bishop of
Norwich, who was young and courageous
and desirous lo he in arms, for he never
bare armour before but in Lombardy with
his brother, thus as he was at Calais and
saw how he was captain of so many men of
arms, he said one day to his company :
' Sirs, why do we sojourn here so long and
tarry for sir William Beauchamp, who
comelh not? The king nor his uocies, I
trow, think little of us; lei us do some
deeds of arms, sith we be ordained so to do:
let us employ the money of the Church
truly while that we live : let us conquer
somewhat of our enemies,' 'That is well
said, sir,' quoth all those that heard him
speak : ' let us warn all our company that
we will ride forth within this three days,
and let us take advice which way we
shall draw. We cannot issne out of the
gates but we enter into the lands of our
enemies, for it is French all about on every
2^8
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
nart. We were as good to go towards
Flanders as to Boulogne, for Flanders is a
land of conquest, conquered by the puis-
sance of the French king : we cannot be-
slow our time more honourably, all things
considered, than to conquer it again ; and
also the earl of Flanders hath done of late
a great despite to men of our country, for
without anv title of reason he hath bamshed
and chased them out of Bruges and out of
all Flanders : it passeth not two year sith
that he would have been loath to have done
so, but as now he is fain to obey to the
pleasure of the French king.* * Wherefore, '
Quoth the bishop, *if I may be believed,
the tirst journey that we shall make shall
l>e into Flanders. * * Sir,* quoth sir Thomas
Trivet and sir William Helmon, * ye shall
be well believed : let us ride into that part
within this three days, for it is of the land
of our enemies.' To this counsel they all
agrceil, and gave warmng each to other.
CHAPTER CCCCXXX
How the Enfi^lishmcn took the town arnl
minsjer of Grax-elines, and how the earl of
Flanders sent to speak ikith them.
At all this agreement was not sir Hi^
Calx'erley, for he was gone to see a cousin
i>f his« the captain of Guines« called sir John
l>rjLvton, and so he w:as there all dav and
rMumed agam the next day. Then the
l«;hop sent for him to the castle, for the
kn^hts had said to the bashop bow Ihe}-
wowld have the advke of sir Hi^ Calver-
)ey* or they did aByt^ui^, becaiise he had
SKWt f^een a2)d ixse^ the war. Then the
Hshop said to him as ye have heard before.
and commanded him to say his advic«.
Then sir Hi^ answered Imn and said :
* Sir, TV ki^ow mT"ll on what condition w^e
Ix' d^rtfote.i cc: ^nc Eiig-hmd : ooar enterprise
tvMich^h TKXhiTig the war "between the
kinp;. >q: a"!' c»T/:y a^^iins: the Ocmentines :
tV»r «-c- St- s.Vi.iKT«- <->:' pcoc Urhan, who hath
vSor.?. &sji,-»;io,i i:s trv->Tn al' sii: and pairu if
vc .';." .x-.TTx-wcT r^ aescTJ'T ihc OeiTjeiinTies;.
"::' vc ^,- :r.:.- 'r:LT).5crs. :>)v"ta^. :he c<TCTjrr>-
.'..-.:r. ;o.'- r-o^jjor?.i "S- :be French king
r.-'". ir.'i: /...v; :.: ?.;;rg'-]i'nc, ye: i».-<r all thii
v.; s>';>..«.. ..': irr.ijjs. ; tVc as I iinies^and,
: ^; i-.r.r! .:" ~rir.T>:ti-r>- in.": ij} the Fiemiugs.
i-i; ;:- ^.-».v. l>."«inijc> as we he. Alsc\ sir.
we have not men enow to enter into
Flanders ; for they are all ready and used
in the war, and they are a great number
of people : they have done nothing else but
lived in war this three or four year, and
also it is a strong country to enter into:
also the Flemings have done us no trespass.
But, sir, if we shall ride, let us ride into
France : there be our enemies in two man-
ners. The king our lord's war is now
open, and also the Frenchmen are good
Clementines, contrary to our belief and
against our pope. Also, sir, we should
abide for our marshal sir William Bean-
champ, who should hastily come to us with
a good number of men, and the last word
that our king said was that he would send
him to us. But, sir, my counsel is, if «e
shall needs ride, let us draw towards Aire
or Montreuil : there is none, I fhmlr, as
yet, that will come against us, and always
men will come to us out of Flanders, n^
hath lost all that they have : they will be
glad to go with us in hope to win somewhat
again : they bear evil will in their hearts to
the Frenchmoi, who hath slain in the wus
their £ithers. brethren, kinsmen and friends'
Sir Hugh could scant speak these wnids
bat that the bishop took the matter hot and
hasty and said : *" Ah, sir Hugh, ye have
so well learned to ride in France, that
ye cannot ride into none other place. We
caimot better ride to oar profit than to
enter into the frontier of Fbrndeis faj the
sea ccia^, as to the town of Boarbomg, of
Dunkirk, d Newport. c& Besgaes. of CaseL
of Ypres and of Poperinghe : in these sud
countries, as 1 am informed by the hmgesses
of Oannt, they had never m:aT i\v^t |^iicftd
them. Lei us go ihiiher and refresh as.
and abide there for oo* marshal, if he w31
come : hv-^wbeii, we see ncc yei bat littk
arnpearanre of his ccnnin^.' When sir
riugh C-a3verj<T szw thai ihe rnshop did
^tke him up i5o sh."*r::T, s::^^ he cortsadered
well hiiw he was ihedr riiief carcain and
ihi: he wa> a ^rea: man and cd great
lineage, he heii hi> peace ; far he saw wcfl
ilio how ihai >.i> opinicm sibrai}d ucc ie
^qasrained nefihiir hy i;:T Thfimas Trrre;: scr
>n- sir Wi'iixor. lie.'.mvin. Then he derartei
an*^ said : "Sir, if ye ri.^e f:inh. sr'Hi^ii
CiiX'eiJCT shaZ ri3e "wiih y.-ir., nor xe s^i^
n.x gi^ thr:: "wxy "ra:: iha; he dare wrf] ^:>
ihe same.' "I ~r«ebe\'e well,' qnoih me
THE BISHOP OF NORWICH IN FLANDERS
299
II ride
On Ihis purpose thej' were all agreed, and
their riding fortii was published throughout
the town. And in the morning the tram'
pets sowncd and every man departed into
I he fields and took (be way to Giavelinea \
and they were in numtier about a three
thousand men armed, and so they came to
the port of Gravelines. Tlie sea was as
then but Juw, and so they passed forth and
assailed the minslec, the which they of the
town had fortified. The town was closeil
but with pales, the which could not long
endure, nor also the men of the town were
hut seamen ; if there had been genilemcn, il
would have held longer than it did : nor also
the country was not ware thereof, for they
feared nothing the Englishmen. Thus the
Englishmen conquered the town of Grave-
lines and entered into il, and then drew to
the minster, whereunto the people of the
town were drawn and put therein all their
goods, on trust of the strength of the place,
?.nd their wives and chili^^n, and made
round about it great dikes, so that the Eng-
lishmen could not have it at their ease ; for
Ihey were there two days or they won it,
yet finally Ihey won it and slew all them
thai kept it with defence, and with the
residue they did what they list. Thus they
were lords and masters of Gravelines and
lodged li^ether in the town and found
there plenty of provision. Then all the
country began to be afraid, and did put
Iheii goods into Ihe fortresses and send Iheir
wives and children to Beiges, to Bour.
Iwurg and to Samt-Omer's.
The earl of Flanders, who lay at Lille,
when he understood these tidings, how thai
the Englishmen made him war and had
taken Gravelines, then he began to doubt
of them of [the] Franc of Bruges, and called
his council to him and said ; ' I have great
marvel of the Englishmen, Ihat they run
thus on my land : they demanded never
nothing of me, and thus wiihout any de-
fiance to enter into tr-j land. ' Some of his
council answered him and said : 'Sir, it is
a thing well to marvel of; but it is to be
supposed that Ihey repute you, the earl of
Flanders, to be French, because the French
king halh sn ridden in this country that all
is yielded to him.' 'Why,' quoth the earl,
'what is best then to be done?' 'Sir,'
quoth they, ' il were good thai ye send sir
John Villain and sir John Monhu. who be
here present, and also Ihey have a pension
of the king of England, mto England to
speak with the king there from you, and to
shew him sagely all this tnisiness, and to
demand of him why he doth make you war.
We think, when be heareth your messengers
speak, he will not be conlenC with them that
thus warreth against your country, but call
them back to their great blame.' 'Yea,'
quoth the earl, ' but in the mean time, while
Ihey go into England, they that be now at
Gravelines will go farther and do great
damage to them of [the] Franc' 'Sir,'
quoth they, ' then let them first go to Ibem
at Gravelines and desire of them a safe-
conduct lo go to Calais and so into Eng-
land, end to know of them what it is that
they demand of you. We think these two
knights are so well advised and will handle
Ihem so wisely, that they shall set the
country in rest and peace.' ' I am content
it be thus," quoth the earl. Then these Iwo
knights were informed by the earl and his
council what Ihey should say to the bishop
of Norwich, and to shew him what charge
ihey have to go into England lo shew the
matter to the king ihere and lo his uncles.
In the mean season that these knights
prepared to go io Gravelines to speak with
the bishop of Norwich, all the country arose
about Bourboui^, Bergues, Cassel, Fope-
ringhe, Furnes, Newport and other towns,
and they came to Dunkirk and there abode
in the town, saying how they would shortly
issue out and de^nd their frontiers and
light with the En^'lishmen. And Ihese
men of Flanders had a captain called sir
John Sporkin, goveraour of all the lands of
the lady of Bar, the which land lieth in the
marches about Ypres : and this sir John
Sporkin knew nothing that the earl of
Flanders would send into England, for ihe
Hase of Flanders was newly come to him
with thirty spears and shewed him how that
the earl was at LiUe about a marriage to
be had between his sister and the lord de
Wavrin. So these two knights did as much
as Ihey could to stir the country to rise, so that
they were to the number of twelve thousand
Eikes with pavises and coats of steel,
ocquetons, chapcaus, and bassenets, and
in a manner they were all of the land of the
300
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
lady of Bar between Gravelines and Dun-
kirk, as I was informed. And a three
leagues in the way there stood the town of
Mardyck, a great village on the sea side
unclosed, and thither came some of the
Englishmen and scrimmished. And so
thus came to Gravelines sir John Villain
and sir John du Moulin for the earl of
Flanders by a safe -conduct that he had
attained from the bishop, or he came from
Bourbourg. Then they came to the bishop
of Norwich, who made to them by semblant
right good cheer. He had with him at
dinner the same day all the lords of the
host ; for he knew well the earl's knights
should come to him the same time, and his
mind was how he would that they should
find them all together. Then these two
knights began to speak and said : * Sir, we
be sent hither to you from the earl of
Flanders our lord. ' * What lord ? ' quoth the
bishop. They answered again and said :
* From the earl : there is none other lord
of Flanders.' * By the good Lord,' quoth
the bishop, ' we take for the lord of Flanders
the French king or else the duke of Bur-
goyne, our enemies, for by puissance but
late they have conquered all the country.'
* Sir,' quoth the knights, * saving your dis-
pleasure, the land was at Tournay clearly
rendered again and put into the hands and
governing of the earl of Flanders, who hath
sent us to you, desiring you that we two,
who have pension of the king of England,
may have a safe-conduct to go into England
to speak with the king, to know the cause
why without any defiance he maketh war
against the earl and his country of Flanders.'
*Sirs,' quoth the bishop, *we shall take
advice and answer you to-morrow.' So
thus they went to their lodging and left the
Englishmen in council ; and so all that day
they took counsel together, and concluded
as ye shall hear.
CHAPTER CCCCXXXI
The answer that the bishop of Norwich
made to the knights of Flanders ; and of
the assembly that they of Cassel and of
the country about made against the
Englishmen.
All things considered and regarded, they
said they would grant no safe -conduct to
them to go into England, for it was too far
off; for or they could return again, the
country would be sore stirred and greatly
fortified, and also the earl should by that
time send word thereof to the French king
and to the duke of Burgoyne, whereby
they might come with such number of
people against them that they should not
be able to resist them nor to fight with
them. So on this determination they
rested. Then it was demanded among
them what answer they should make to the
knights of Flanders the next day. Then
sir Hugh Calverley was commanded to
speak and to give his advice. Then he
said thus to the bishop : * Sir, ye are our
chief captain : sir, ye may say to them how
ye be in the land of the duchess of Bar,
who is Clementine, arid how for Urban ye
make war and for nobody else ; and offer
them that if this land with the churches and
abbeys will become good Urbanists, and to
ride with you and to bring you through
the country, ye will then cause all your
company to pass through the country peace-
ably and to pay for all that they shall take:
but as touching to give them safe-conduct
to go into England, ye will not grant
thereto in no wise ; for ye may say that
your war toucheth nothing the war of Eng-
land nor of France, but that we be soldiers
of pope Urban. Sir, as I think, this answer
should suffice.' Every man agreed well to
this, and especially the bishop, who had
mind of nothing that was said but to fight
and to war on the country.
Thus the matter abode all night, and in
the morning after mass the two said knights
of the earl's, desiring to have an answer,
came to the bishop's lodging and abode
there till he came out to go to mass. And
so then they stepped forth before him, and
there he made them good cheer by semblant,
and devised with them a little of other
matters, to delay the time till his knights
were come about him : and when they were
all assembled together, then the bishop
said to them : * Sirs, ye tarry for an answer
and ye shall have it on the request that ye
make for the earl of Flanders. I say unto
you, ye may return again when ye list to
the earl your master, or else to go to Calais
on your jeopardy, or into England : but as
for safe-conduct, ye get none of me, for I
am not the king of England, nor I have
THE BISHOP OF NORWICH IN FLANDERS
301
not so fk[ autliorityao to do. 1 and all my
company are hut soldiers of pope Urban
and of wages of him, and take his money
to serve him truly : and now we be in the
land of the duchess of Bar, who is a
Clementine, and if the people be of that
opinion, we will make them war; and if
they will go with us and lake our part, they
shall have part of our pardons and absolu-
tions : for Urban our pope, for whom we
are in vi>yag;e, halh assailed us clean from
pain and from sin, and all those that will
aid to destroy the Clementines.'
When the knights heard these words, sir
John Villain said : ' Sir, in that as touching
the pope, I think ye have not heard the
contrary biit that my lord the earl of
Flanders hath been always good Urbanist ;
vBherefore, air, ye do evil to make war to
him or to his country, nor I think the king
of England, your lotil, hath not charged you
so to do, for he is so noble, that if he would
havemade him war, fiist he would have defied
him.' With those words the bishop b^an
to wan angry and said ; 'Well, sirs, go to
your earl, and say unto him that he getteth
nothing else of as : and if ye will send into
England to know the king s pleasure, do as
ye list ; but as for this way nor by Calais
they shall not pa^s.' And when these
knights saw they could not attain to their
purpose none otherwise, they departed and
returned lo their lodging and dined, and
niter dinner departed and went the same
night to Saint-Omer's.
The same day that the knights departed,
there came tidings to the bishop that there
was at Dunkirk and thereabout a twelve
thousand men in harness, and the bastard
of Flanders in their company as their chief
captain, and divers other knights and
squires with them ; insomuch it was
shewed him that on the Thursday before
they had scrimmished with his company
and slain a hundred of them. ' Lo,' quoth
the bishop, 'ye may see whether the earl
do meddle in this matter or not ; it is he
that dolb all ; he entreaCeth for peace with
the sword in his hand. Let us ride forth
to.monow and go to Dunkirk and see what
people Ihcy be that be there gathered.'
Every man agreed thereto, and the same
day there came to the bishop two knights,
the one from Calais, the other from
Guiaes, and with them a thirty spears and
threescore archers. The knights were
called sir Nicholas Clifton and sic John
Drayton, captain of Guines. In the nmt
morning they made them ready to ride
forth and so drew into the lield : they were
more than six hundred spears and sixteen
hundred archers, and so they rode toward
Mardyck and Dunkirk. The bishop made
to be borne before him the aims of the
Church, the banner of Saint Peter, field
gules, two keys silver, like soldiers of pope
Urban, and in his pennon he bare his own
arms, silver and azuie quarterly, a Fret gold
on the azure, a bend of gules on the silver,
and because he was the youngest of the
Spenseis, he bare a border of gules for a
difference. There was also sir Hugh
Spenser his nephew with his pennon ; and
with banner and pennon there was the lord
Beaumont, sic Hugh Calverley, sic Thomas
Trivet and mc WilUam Hehnon ; and with
pennon without banner there was sir
William Drayton, sir John his brother, sic
Matthew Redman, sic John Ferrers, sir
William Faringdon, and sir John of Chateau-
neuf, Gascon. Thus these men of arms
rode towards Mardyck and there refreshed
them and drank, and so passed forth and
took the way to Dunkirk.
And the Flemings that were there as-
sembled were advertised that the English-
men would come that way ready apparelled
to fight with them ; so Ih^ determined
among them:ielves to draw into the Reld
and to be ready in good array to 6ght, if
need required, for they thought, to abide in
the town and to be closed therein should
be nothing to them piofitable. And as
they ordained, so it was done : every man
armed himself in the town and issued out
into the field : then they set themselves in
good array on a little hill without the town ;
and they were in number a twelve thousand
And so therewith there came the Eng-
lishmen approaching to Dunkirk, and they
beheld the mountain on their right side
toward Bourbouig toward the sea side, and
there they saw the Flemings in a great
battle well ordered : then they tarried, for
it seemed to them that the Flemings would
give them battle. Then the lords drew
tt^ether to council, and there were divers
opinions ; and specially the bishop of Nor-
wich would that they should incontinent go
302
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
and fight with them, and other, as the lord
Beaumont and sir Hugh Calverley, said to
the contrary, laying divers reasons and
saying : ' Sir, ye know well the Flemings
that be yonder have done us no forfeit;
and to say the truth, we have sent to the
earl of Flanders no defiance, and yet we be
here in his country. This is no courteous
war that we make ; we do nothing but
catch it an we may, without any reasonable
war. And also all this country that we be
in be as Urbanists as well as we be, and
holdeth the same opinion that we do. Be-
hold now therefore and see what just cause
we have to run thus on them.' Then the
bishop said : ' How know we that they be
Urbanists or not ? ' 'In the name of God/
quoth sir Hugh Calverley, 'methink it
were good that we send to them an herald,
to know what thing they demand, thus to
be ranged in battle against us ; and let it be
demanded of what pope they hold of, and
if they answer and say how they be good
Urbanists, then require them, by the virtue
of the pope's bull that we have, that they
will go with us to Saint- Omer's, Aire or
Arras, or thither-as we will bring them ;
and when they be thus required, then
thereby we shall know their intention and
thereupon we may take advice and counsel.'
This purpose was holden, and an herald
called Montfort, pertaining to the duke of
Bretayne, was commanded by all the lords
to go to the Flemings and to shew them as
ye have heard before. The herald obeyed
their commandment, as it was reason, and
so went to speak with them.
CHAPS. CCCCXXXU-CCCCXLHI
SUMMARY.— The herald being slain by
the Flemings, a battle began, in 7vhich the
Flemings were defeated, and the English
took Dunkirk, Bourbourg, Cassel and other
towns, and laid siege to Ypres, aided by the
Gauntois. At length the French king
assembled a host and forced them to raise the
siege and abandon all their conquests.
In the mean time Francis Ackerman took
Oudenarde by a surprise, as in the same
season the castle ofAIercoeur in Auvergnt
W€L5 taken by Amerigpt Marcel. Negotia-
tions were long carried on for a peace be-
tween France and England^ but it could
not be concluded. Finally a tnece was made
to last till Michaelmas day of the year 1 384,
and to include Spain and Scotland on the
French side and Ghent on the English.
The earl of Flanders diedj and vhu buried
with great pomp at Lille.
CHAPTERS CCCCXLIV-CCCCLI
SUMMARY. — Before the truce was pub-
lished in England and Scotland, hostilities
took place bOween those countries, so that
when the truce was published the Scots at
first refused to accept it and ntcule raids into
Engldnd against the will of the king of
Scots. At length the truce voas excepted.
The lord of Escomay took Oudenarde by
surprise from the Gauntois, notwithstanding
the truce.
The Gauntois requested the king of Eng-
land to appoint one of his blood to be gover-
nour of Ghent. lie appointed sir John
Bourchier.
The duke of Anjou died near Naples.
The truce between England and Frame
was prolonged till the May foUoiving, and
the French made preparations to invade
England from Scotland in the ensuing
summer.
A double marriage was arranged by the
duchess of Brabant between the son and
daughter of the duke of Burgundy and the
son and daughter of the duke Aubert of
Hainault, notwithstanding that the duke of
Lancaster had intended a marriage between
William of Hainault and his daughter
Philippa. This double marriage was cele-
brated at Cambray after Easter in tlu
year 1385.
Louis of Blois was betrothed to the lady
Mary, daughter of the duke of Berry.
Meanwhile the truce expired and the
French prepared, some to enter Limousin and
others to pass the sea into Scotlatid.
^5u0 etibtt^ tje first tjolume of 0it 3|o5an if roissfart, of tje
cronpcles of ^nglSDe, iftaunce, fepapne, i&ortjngale, fecot^
lanne, Bretapne, iflauUew, anti otl^er places atiiopnjnff : tum-^
latzA out of frencl^^ into our maternall engljss^e tonge, bp
gio^an Bourc^ier, fenig^t, lorue 2Berner0, at tl^e comaunHement
of our moo0t ^ig^e reHouted 0ouerapgne lorDe fepng l^enrj
tl)e tiiii. fepnffe of (Cnglantie anti of ifraunce, anti ^pff^ lie=
fenUer of tlie c!)rf0ten fait^e, etc. 3|niprinteti at Hontion, m
iFlete0trete, bp Eicbarne i&pngfon, printer to tbe fepnge0 noble
grace, anti enHeU t^e xx^iiut^^V ^^ 3|anuarj,tje pere of our
lorne 9l^2Da^3^3l11.
€nm prtuUegto a rege fntiulto^
rv'
/
p
; t
4'
9
V *.
:
I
i
I
I
THE SECOND VOLUME
V
ano foiicrljE lioke of spr ^oljii jfcoi^gait of r^e cronp=
clES of Cnfflaiine, frauncc, »ipapffiic, poctyugaU,
»iCDtIani3£, BcEtflpne, flauntiEria, and ot|iEc placed
atiio?npti5, iranBlatEli out of freiicijE into EnglpfiSlje
t? ioljaix Bourc^iEC, bnps&t, Idcde jBernECS, Oe=
puriE BEnecall of tljE ISjuses tototiE of Ca:
laisJ anO maccljESsfe of tl)c same : at tljE coni-
mauixfiEiiicnt of otir most iiis^t CEOoutEO
0DticcapnE lotfiE kvn^t t^enrgE tlje
Ep5l)t, fe^nSE of dCiiglanl) arib of
jfraiiiitE anti ijigljEfiEfEniiEc
of tjE Cljcpstcn
faitI)E, Etc.
jViaV. — The division of volumes made by the translator does not really corfespond
_o any division of the Fiench text. His second volume begins before the end ol the
I second book of the Chtonicles.
THE PREFACE OF SIR JOHN BOURCHIER, KNIGHT,
LORD BERNERS
Sith history (as I have in my preface upon the first volume of this chronick
declared) is the witness of times, the light of truth, the life of remembrance,
the mistress of the life, the messenger of old season, whereof innumerable
commodities g^owen, I ne think the labours mispent that I, at the high coin-!
mandment of our most redoubted sovereign lord Henry the eight, king
England and of France, high defender of the Christian faith, etc., have em-l
ployed about the translation of now the four volumes of sir John Froissart oat!
of French into our English tongue. Certainly not the bounty of the same
chronicles, in whom are contained the wars of these parties, which wars (d^
scrived in French by sir John Froissart right ordinately),^ as many that haie
great understanding in divers tongues in whom wars are written plainly sa^
for knightly feats, manhood and humanity pass right much the wars <rf fir
countries, nor the great pleasure that my noble countrymen of Sngland tab
in reading the worthy and knightly deeds of their valiant ancestors, encooT'
ageth me half so much as the princely exhort, which of all earthly kings the voy
worship and honour, our foresaid gracious sovereign, gave me. He who,fcr
the manifold royal virtues in his highness found, not of two or three sniafl
realms, but is worthy to reign and be king over the universal world, delightetk
in nothing more than to have, as I said, the most famous deeds of his pre-
decessors and subjects set out with all diligence, so that it might appear to
every man's sight over what and how worthy people his ancestors have donei
and now his majesty with all kingly prudence reigneth ; and herein his hij^
ness taketh singular pleasure to behold how his worthy subjects, seeing i»
history the very famous deeds, as it were images, represent their vaSanl
ancestors, contend by vigorous virtue and manhood to follow, yea to pass
them, if they may. Truly the images, as they used in old time to erect in
worship and remembrance of them that were descended of noble blood, ne bear
half the witness that the noble deeds set out in history done : which well ap-
peareth by the words of the prudent king Agesilaus, who dying commanded ttot
neither image nor picture to his resemblance should be made ; for if I have, said
he, any noble thing famously done, it shall bear witness enough of me ; if I have
nought done, certainly all the images little availen : as who saith, such things
might be made in mind of them that were but dastards and never did worthy
deed in all their life. Wherefore for the love and honour that I bear to our
most puissant sovereign, and to do pleasure to his subjects both nobles and
commons, I have endeavoured me to translate out of French, as said is, into
English the four volumes of sir John Froissart, and reduced them into twain:
wherein if I have erred, I pray them that shall default find to consider the
greatness of the history and my good will, that ask nothing else of them for
my great labour, but of their courtesy to amend where need shall be ; and yet
for their so doing I shall pray to God finally to send them the bliss of heaven.
— Amen.
IT ^Su0 enliett t^e preface of 0ir 3|oiaa Bourc^fer, feniglt,
lorn Berner^, lieputie of Calais, transdatour of tfjig present
cronpcle: anli fjereafter folotoet^ t!)e table, toitfj tfte c6apter0
a0 t^ep 0tanlie in t!)e bofee bp orlier, etc*
1 A correction for * ornately.*
CHAPTERS I-XX
WMAfARy.—iVhtn the Irutetmhd, i
^ renamed evetywhire, in Flanders,
■ 1 and Portugal, in Limousin and
t, and also betwten England and
jlland, whither sir John de Vienne had
ieviitha large rmmSer of French knighls,
''7 were uneeurleeusfy rteeived and/ound
nsilves vtry ill ai ease.
' narriage mai made iy procur
<t Louis of Valois and the queen of
, wy, but she was afiirviards forced to
y the marquis •of Brandetiiurg, taho
le thereby ting of Hungary.
•t dtuhess of Brahanl brought ai/m
■riage between the French king and lur
: Isabel, daughter of the duke of
■ Ackermtat took the town of
t, and the French king laid siege to
td finally look it again.
'ie French and Scots entered Nerthum-
fynd, but were compelled to retreat before
P English host, which invaded Scotland.
1* Frenchmen, heing convinced that they
'-' not strong enough to fight -with the
liih army, entered Cumberland by the
mountains and attacked Carlisle, while the
English advanced and took Edinhutgh. At
length both returned — the English to England
and the French to Scotl^id, where they
fotnid the country destroyed.
There was much evil will between the
Frenchmen and the Scots, and sir John de
Vienne was obliged to stay in Scotland till
large damaga had been faid to the Scots for
that which his mm had done in the country.
Some cilitens of Ghent treated privately
with the duke if Burgundy, who was lord
of Flanden, and got the craffs on their side.
Sir John Baurchier was allowed to depart,
and a treaty was made canfirmingfranchises
and stipulating for pardon of all parties on J
both sides. This peace was doled iS/A ,
December 1385. Peter du Bois theughl i.
CHAPTER XXI
How sir John Froissart. aulhor of this
chronicle, departed out of France and weni
to Ihe earl of Foil, nnd the manner of his
voyage.
Ir is long now sith I made anymetitlon of the
buaitiesses of far countries, for the bnsinessea
nearer home hath been so fresh that I left
all other matters to write thereof. How-
beit, all this season valiant men desiring
to advance themselves in the realm of
Castile and Portugal, in Gascoyne, in
Rouergue, in Quercy, in Limousin and in
Bigorre, every day they imagined by what
subtlety they could get one of another, by
deeds ofarms or by stealing of towns, castles
and fortresses. And therefore I, John
Froissart, who have taken on me to
chronicle this present history at the request
of the h^h renowned prince sir Guy of
Chatillon, earl of Blois, iord of Avesies,
Beaumont, Schoonhove, and of la Goude,
my sovereign master and good lord, con-
sidering in myself how there was no great
deeds of arms likely toward in the parts of
Picardy or Flanders, seeing the peace was
made between the diike and them of Gannt,
and it greatly annoyed me to be idle, for I
knew well that after my death Ibis noble
and high history shouid have his course,*
wherein divers noble men should have great
pleasure and delight, and as yet, I thank
God, I have understanding and remembrance
of all things past, and my wit quick and
sharp enough to conceive all things shewed
me touching my principal matter, and
ere ends Iho iiqond boolt of Ihc Chronicles,
fDJion
1 by ihi I
.v^>
77//; c/i'A\\v:crFs of fa^o/ss.-iat
mv UhIv as yot aMo lo ciulure ami tv^
miIUt jMin : ;\ll iluiij;s oonsiviorv\i. I ihoujjh:
I >\^niM \\o{ K't lo |nir>»uo my s»iM nrs:
puiiH^M*: ;uul \o iho iniout tv» ksvw the
Uuili ol' iKhsU ilouo in \\\x wuiitriosi, I
louiul iHvasioii t\» j;\» lo I ho hi^h auvi n\ii;h:y
piiiuv I Alston iMil ol Koi\ siuvl v^t" IWir:; :
loi I know woU ih,\i il I ni!;'ht h.ixo ;h,i;
>ii;uv l\» i>Mno in:i» hU hou>o And u^ iv
ihoio At loi>'Uio. I \vuUl nv»; iv sv* woi!
intvMiuvNl i*Mn\ puttvvxv' in nono v»:hor r'Aco
ot tlio WkmKI : t'oi ilr.:l\or »os*»i;vM a".*. •.v..i:'.:u'r
ot'ktujjlv.s .uul stiAnj^o s\;;::k*s. t'oi :ho pci:
no'^lono'i'i v»l iho s.r,vl oAi!. Av.k'. as I
iin.ij;i:u\l, so I i;Ul. And shv>^<v. ;v* r.^.y rv-
v:oul»tv\i K*tvl iho o.ul x^t" U'.ois r.v.no -rter.:.
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oastles. and battles and hard encountering
and yet hereafter ye shall hear of mof
more, [of] the which by the grace of God 1 1
^hall make just narration.
.N': \V.V.4 FV.—Tm eaH of Coming m\
-.'-a'-'.v.;; fzs nlaUd bzfore^from Pmti^
.:y ".nrrreJ /v rrenis tfure to the im
'"' /j^^-i.'.v. trie' zras t/is/^/^ased ictkifl
::.■"? -»:.;* 3y :i^ a-ar t^in^ toetttiHE^l
.'.; v.:. Js.vi'i n/T^r :itj tkt Jtin^ of Pbrtm
.;:.,; jw.: .• t.' c; »j- cf Castile IjtJ claim /**[
' . .:.'r;. TIv .v»r Wcms cf Portugal^ hrnxx^ I
. :,-.v -> : Iv.'V zin^fckn^ grand muttrA
Ay^\ ;xi.v--i" .--,-- «r cf tfu late king^iX
:, o: -.y .-" C^zi^e a^cordin^y mak tA
A .\« .- L- n ^nd c^jU^d L.xsb<m. Tv ai\
/-■ /Vr-i^-^" .vwr *«.v ^ngiandfor if.]!'.«j
CHAFTErk XXII
";-:rjr :>.;» 7--v^f .v Wiles a=d
'.V" "Of JLTvi rL"~«j:rss5 " t-%- v.^-^ >^ s^^l
r:Tv.TrN :>.; r--c=i:y re Frcs aas i|
:ci ".ir: i.r-i :£i ;:» ^jc^rr nf Ccaafflj
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THE PRINCE OF WALES IN BICORKE, 1363
311
Ihey would come into the coiintty of Bigorre
into ihe dly of Tarbes to see that country,
which is, then he had not seen before ; and
the earl of Armagnac thought that, if the
prince and princess were in Bigorre, that
the earl of hoix would come and see them,
and whereas be did owe him for his mnsom
two hundred and fiily thousand franks, he
thought he would desire the prince and
princess to require the earl of Foix to for-
give him the same sum or part thereof.
So much did the earl of Armagnac, that at
his instance the prince and princess came
to the city of Tarbes. This town is &ir
and slandeth in a plain country among the
fair vines, and it is a town, city and castle,
closed with gales and walls and separated
each from other. From the mountains of
Beam and Cataloyne cometh Ihe fair river
of I-isse,' which runneth through Tarbes
atid is as clear as a fountain, and a Rve
leagues thence is the town of Morlaas per-
taining to the earl of Foix at the entry of
the county of Beam ; and under the moun-
tain a six leagues from Tarbes is the town of
Psu, which also pertaineth to the said earl.
The same time that the prince and
princess was at Tarbes, the eail of Foix was
3.t Pan. He was there building of a fair castle
ioining to Ihe town without on the rivet
if Gave. As soon as he knew the coming
lif the prince and princess being at Tarbes, he
Ordained to go and see them m great estate
wdlh more than six hundred horses and
Llireeacore knights in his company : and of
tiis coming to Tarbes was the prince and
l^rincess tight joyous and made him good
=lieer. And there was the earl of Armagnac
^nd Ihe lord d'Albret, and they desired the
prince to require the earl of Foix to foi^ive
the earl of Armagnac all or else part of the
Sum of florins that he ought to have : and
the prince, who was wise and sage, con-
sidering all things, thought that he might
riot doso.and said : ' Sirearl of Atmagnae,
y-e were taken by arms in the journey of
battle and ye did put my cousin the earl of
l^oix in adventure against you ; and though
Cortune were favourable to him and against
Kou, his valour ought not then to be made
:ss.° By like deeds my lord my father
V. lh« Adour.
. worth ■!
nor I would not be content that we should
be desired to leave that we have won by
good adventure at the battle of Poitiers,
whereof we thank God.' When the earl of
Atmagnae heard that, he was abashed, for he
failed of his intent : howbeit, yet he lelt not
off so, but then he required the princess,
who with B good heart desired the earl of
Foix to give her a gift. 'Madam,' quoth
the earl, ' I am but a mean man, therefore
1 can give no great gifts : but, madam,
if the thing that ye desire pass not the
value of threescore thousand franks, I will
give it you with a glad cheer.' Yet the
piincess assayed again if she could cause
him to grant her lull desire ; but the earl
was sage and subtle and thought verily that
her desire was to have him to forgive cleaily
the earl of Armagnac all his debt, and then
he said again : ' Madam, for a poor knight
as I am, who huildeth towns and castles,
the gift that I have granted you ought to
aufiice.' The princess could bring him no
farther, and when she saw that, she said ;
' Gentle earl of Foix, the request that I
desire of you is to fo^ve clearly the earl of
Armagnac' 'Madam,' quoth the earl,
' to your request I ought well to condescend :
I have said to you that if your desire pass
not the value of threescore thousand franks,
that I would giant it you ; but, madam, Ihe
tail of Armagnac oweth me two hundred
and Bfly thousand franks, and at your
request I forgive him thereof threescore
thousand franks.' Thus the matter stood
in that case, and the earl of Armagnac at the
request of the princess won the forgiving of
threescore thousand finoks. And anon
after the earl of Foix telumed to his own
I, sir John Froissatt, make narration of
this husmess, because when I was in the
county of Foix and of Beam I passed by
the county of Bigorre, and I demanded
and enquired of the news of that country,
such as I knew not before ; and it was
shewed me how the prince of Wales and of
Acquiloine, while he was at Tarbes, he
bad great will to go see the castle of
X«urdes, which was a three leagues off,
near to the entry of Ihe mountain ; and
when he was there and had well advised
[he town, the castle and the country, he
praised it greatly, as well for the strengtil
of the castle as because it stood c
3"
THE CHRONICLES OF FROJSSART
frontier of divers countries ; for the garrison
there might run well into the realm of
Aragon, into Cataloyne and to Barcelone.
Then the prince called to him a knight of
his household, in whom he had great trust
and loved him entirely and he had served
him truly, and was called sir Pier Emault
of the country of Beam, an expert man of
arms and cousin to the earl of Foix. Then
the prince said to him : * Sir Emault, I
institute and make you chatelain and cap-
tain of Lourdes and governour of the country
of Bigorre. Look that ye keep this castle,
see well that ye make a good account
thereof to the king my father and to me.'
* Sir,' quoth the knight, * I thank you, and
I shall observe your commandment.' There
he did homage to the prince, and the prince
put him in possession.
It is to be known that when the war
began to renew between England and
France, as it hath been shewed before, the
earl Guy of Saint -Pol and sir Hugh of
Chatillon, master of the cross-bows in
France in that time, besieged the town of
Abbeville and won it, with all the country
of Ponthieu. The same time two great
barons of Bigorre, the one called sir
Monaut Barbazan, and the lord d'Anchin,*
turned French and took the town, city and
castle of Tarbes, which was but easily kept
for the king of England ; but still the castle
of Lourdes was in the hands of sir Pier
Ernault of Beam, who would in no wise
yield up the castle, but made ever great
war against the realm of P'rance and sent
for great company of adventurers into Beam
and Gascoyne to help and to aid him to
make war, so that he had together many
good men of arms. And he had with him
six caplains and every man fifty spears
under him : the first was his brother John
of Beam, a right expert squire, and Pier
d'Anchin of Bigorre, brother-german to the
lord d'Anchin, he would never turn French,
Ernaulton of Sainte-Colomme, Emaulton
of [Rostem], the Mongat of Sainte-Bazeille
and the bourg of Cardeillac. These captains
made divers journeys into Bigorre, into
Toulousain, into Carcassonne and into Alhi-
geois, for ever as soon as they were out of
Lourdes, they were in the land of their
enemies : and sometime they would adven-
ture thirty leagues off from their hold, and
1 d'Antin.
in their going they would take nothing, bi
in their return there was nothing coidi
scape them ; sometime they brought home
so great plenty of beasts and prisoners, tint
they wist not how to keep them. Th«
they ransomed all the country except the
earl of Foix's lands, for in his lands tiny
durst not take a chicken, without theyptid
truly therefor ; for if they had dis{deaied
the earl, they could not long have endnwL
These companions of Lourdes ran overall
the country at their pleasure, and I rode
not far from them. * Thus the city of Tarbo
was in great doubt, so that they were &■
to make covenant with them : and betwea
Tarbes and Lourdes there was a great
village and a good abbey called Gukxs,*
who in like wise were fain to agree wMi
them. Also on the other part on the rirer
of Lisse there was a great town called Bag-
neres : they of that town had a hard season,
for they were so harried by the garrison <rf
Malvoisin, standing on a hill and the riva
of Lisse running underneath into a walled
town called Tournay, into the which town
they of Lourdes and of Malvoisin had e?er
their recourse, to the which town they did
no hurt, because they had their resort
thither, and they of the town had ever a
good market of their pillage and so dis-
simuled ever with them, which they weie
fain to do or else they could not have lived,
for they had no aid nor succour of any
person. The captain of Malvoisin was a
Gascon and his name was Kaymonnetde
Lesp^s, an expert man of arms. He and
his company and they of Lourdes ransomed
as well the merchants of Aragon and Cata-
loyne as of France, without they agreed
with them.
In the season that I enterprised to go
see the earl of Foix and to see the diver-
sities of the countries whereas I had never
been before, when I departed from Carcas-
sonne I left the way to Toulouse and went
to Montroyal and so to Fanjeaux, then to
Bellepuis and then to the first town of the
earl of Foix,^ and then to Mazeres and so
• ^ '^\ ^Z*""?^ '^'M'^ ''°'?'P'- 1. '^**? *■«»» nieaning
IS, Not far from thence lies the city of TarbS
which,' etc. ^^
2 Saint-P€-de-Gueyres.
8 The French text has ' puis a Belle • puis k la
premiere ville,'.etc., which is a corruptiorTof *puis
a Bellepuis, qui est la premiere ville ' « then to
Bellepuis, the first town of the county Vcontd iwt
conte)of Foix.'
FROISSARl-'S JOURNEY, 13S8
313
to the castle of Savetdun, and then I ca
to the good city of Pamiers, pertaining
the earl of Foix ; and there I tarried ahid-
ing for some company going intt
country of Beam, where the eari
And when I had tarried there a. three days
in great pleasure, for the city was delect-
able, standing among the fair vines and
environed with a laic river, large and clear,
called Liege ;' and on a day it so fortuned
that thither came a Itnighl of the earl of
Foix from Avignon-ward, called sir Eapang
de Lyon, a valiant and an expert man i:'
arms about the age of iifiy years. And Si
I gat me into his company, and he wa
greatly desirous 10 hear of the matters c
France ; and so we were a sii days in ou
journey or we came to Orthez, and thi
knight every day afler he had said his
prayers, most part all the day after he look
his pastime' with me in demanding of tid-
ings, and also when I demanded anything
of him, he would answer me to
purpose.
And when we departed from Pan;
we passed by the mount of Cosse, «
was an evil passage, and so we came ti
town and castle of Artigat, which
French, but we passed by it and so t
10 dinner to a castle of the earl of Foix
half B league thence caUed Csriat, standing
high on a mountain : and after dinner the
knight said tome: ' Sir, let us ride together
fair and easily, we have but two leagues to
ride to our lodging' ; and so I was content
to do. Then the knight said ; ' We have
this day passed by the castle of Artigat,
which lioth much damage in Ibis country.
Peter dAnchin keepeth it and hath taken
and stolen out of the realm of France more
than threescore thousand franks.'' Then
I demanded how that might be. ' I shall
shew you,' quoth the knighL 'On our
Lady day in August there is ever a great
fair, and all the country resorteth thither,
for there is much merchandise. That day
Pier d'jAnchin and his companions of
Lourdes had taken their advice and were
determined to get this town and castle ;
and so they sent two simple varlets (by
iDffijclyth
or(faIlowi,
seeming) to the said (own in the month of
May, to get themselves some service in the
town ; and so they did and were retained
with two masters, and they did right diligent
service to their masters and so went in and
out on their masters' business without any
suspiciousness of them. And so on our
Lady day in August there were many
merchants strangers of Foix, of Beam and
of France ; and as ye know well, when
merchants do meet, that saw not ti^ethei
long before, they will make good cheer
together : and so in the same hoitses where-
as these two varlets were in service, were
many merchants drinking and making good
cheer, and their hosts with them. And by
appointment about midnight Pier dAnchin
and his company came to Artigat and am-
bushed themselves in a wood, which [we]
passed through ; and so they sent six varlets
to the town with two ladders, and they
passed the dikes and came to the walls and
reared up their ladders, and the other two
varlets that were in service in the town did
aid them, while their masters sat making
good cheer. So these said varlets did put
themselves in adventure, and one of the
said two varlets brought the other six to
the gale within, where there was two men
keeping the keys. Then this varlet said to
the other six : " Sirs, keep yourselves here
privy and close and stir not till ye hear me
whistle. I trust to make the porters to
open the gates of their ward ; they have
the keys of the great gale, and therefore as
soon as Ihey have opened their ward, I wilt
whistle. Then step forth and slay the
porters : I know well enough the keys of
the gale, for I have ofttimes helped to keep
the gate with my master." And as they
devised, so Ihey did ; and so the varlet
to the gate and saw and heard how
the porters were drinking within their ward.
Then he called them % their names and
said r "Sirs, open your door; I have
brought you of the best wine that ever you
drank, which my master hath sent you, to
the intent you should keep your watch tlje
better-" And they, who knew right well
the varlet, believed that he had said truth
and opened the door ; and then he whistled
and the other six stepped forth and entered
at the door, and there they stew the
rters so privily that none knew thereof.
Then they took the keys and went and
314
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
opened the gate and let down the bridge
easily, that none knew thereof : then they
blew a blast in a horn, so that they that
were ambushed mounted on their horses
and came on the spurs and entered on the
bridge and came into the town, and so
took all the men of the town sitting drink-
ing, or else in their beds. Thus was Artigat
taken by Pier d*Anchin of Bigorre and by
his companions of Lourdes.'
Then I demanded of the knight how they
gat the castle. * I shall shew you,' quoth
he. * The same time that Artigat was thus
taken, the captain of the castle by his evil
adventure was in the town and supped with
certain merchants of Carcassonne, and was
there taken among other. And in the next
morning Pier d'Anchin brought him before
the castle, whereas his wife and children
were, and made them believe that he would
strike off his head, without his wife would
deliver up the castle ; and if she would so
do, he promised to deliver her husband
quit, and to suffer him and all his to depart
with bag and baggage without any hurt.
And the lady, who saw herself in a hard
case and saw she was not able to make war
herself, and for saving of her husband's
life, she yielded up the castle. And so her
husband and she and all theirs departed and
went to Pamiers. ' Thus had Pier d'Anchin
the town and castle of Artigat ; and the
same time that they entered, he and his
company won above thirty thousand franks,
what in merchandise and prisoners of
France ; but all such as were of the county
of Foix or of Beam were clean delivered
without any damage. And this Pier
d'Anchin kept Artigat after the space of
five year, and he and his company ofttimes
would run to the gates of Carcassonne,
which was a six leagues thence, and did
great damage to the country, as well by
ransoming of the towns as by pillage over
all the country.
* In the mean season that Pier d'Anchin
was in the garrison of Artigat, on a night
certain of his company went out and came
to a castle called Pailh^s, a good league
thence, whereof a French knight called
Raymcjnd de Pailhes was owner. They
had been there often before and failed of
their purpose, but as then their hap was
such, that they scaled the castle and took
it, and the knight and the lady in their
beds, and let the lady and her childien p
free, but they kept still the knight in In
own castle the space of four months, and
at last he paid a thousand franks for Ib
ransom. And finally, when they had sqr
overridden the country, they sold thoe
two castles, Artigat and Pailh^ to them of
the country for eight thousand franks, and
then they went to Lourdes their prindiil
garrison. So thus in this adventure ko^
did put themselves daily.
* Also the same time there was an expert
man of arms in the castle of Lourdes,!
Gascon bom, he was called the Mongatof
Sainte-Bazeille. On a time he and thiitj
with him departed from Lourdes and rode
at all adventures into Toulousain, and hid
thought to have got the castle of Penneii
Albigeois, but he missed of his intent ; aad
when he saw that he failed of his purpose,
he came to the gate and made a grat
scrimmish. And the same proper honrtbe
seneschal of Toulouse rode forth, and witk
him sir Hugh de Froideville and a aity
spears, and came by adventure to Penne,
while the said scrimmish was in doiiKi
Then incontinent they set foot to the eaitfi
and came to the barriers ; and so then the
Mongat was overmatched, but there he
fought valiantly hand to hand and wounded
the other knight in two or three plaoeSi
Howbeit, finally he was taken by force and
his men other taken or slain, there were but
a few that scaped. So this Mongat was led
to Toulouse, and then the commons of the
town would have slain him between the
hands of the seneschal, he had much ptia
to save his life, and so brought him mto
the castle, for he was right evil beloved ia
Toulouse. Yet after it happed so well for
him, that the duke of Berry came thither,
and this knight had such friends that he was
delivered, and the seneschal had a thousand
franks for his ransom ; and when he was
delivered he returned to Lourdes and began
again to make new enterprises. And so
on a time he departed from Lourdes and
five with him * without any armour; and he
did on the habit of a monk and like other
three monks with him ; ^ and they had all
shaven crowns, so that every man that saw
them weened surely that they had been
monks, the habit and gesture became them
1 * Lui cinquiesme,' ' with four others.*
2 'And took three monks with him.*
FHOISSA fir's JOURNEY
315
And ill this m
I hec.
mtpellier, and took up his lodging at the
n of Ihe Eagle' and said how he was an
jt of high Gascoyne and was going to
in business pertaining to his
i he gat fejmliar acquaintance
a of Ihe town called Berenger
te}, who h^d also to do at Paris foe ceitain
liness. Then this abbot said how he
uld pay for his costs if he list to go in
p company, whereof the good man was
t joyous in that he should have his
— s borne j and so he and one varlet
im went forth with this monk. And
' when they had ridden a three leagues, this
counterfeit tnonk sir Mongat look him
prisoner and led him secret ways to his
garrison of Lourdes, and after did ransom
him flt live thousand (ranks. ' Then t said :
' Ah Saint Mary I was this Mongal such an
expert man of arms?' 'Yea truly, sir,'
quolh he, 'and in war he died, in a place
whereas we shall pass within this three
days in a country called the Laire in Bigorre
l)j- a town called La Cieutat.' ' Well sir,'
(]uolh I, ■ and I shall remember you there-
of when we come there.'
And so we rode till we came to Montes-
quieu, a good town closed pertaining to the
i.nrl of Foix, which the Armagnacs and the
il'Albrets took by stealth on a season, but
Lfioy kept it not but three days. And in the
morning we departed from Montesquieu
and rode to the town of Palamioich, a good
town closed on the river of Garonne, per-
taining to the earl of FoIk ; and when we
were almost there, we had thought to have
passed the bridge of Garonne, to have
totered into the town, but we could not ;
for the day before it had so sore rained
from the mountains of Cataloyne and
Atagon, whereby another river was so in-
creased, which was called Salat, and ran so
fast, that it raised un the river of Garonne
ill such wise, that it break one of the arches
of the bridge, which was of timber. Where-
fore we returned again to Montesquieu and
tarried there all the day. Then the next
day the knight had counsel to pass the
river by boats by the town of Casseres : so
we rode Ihithei, and did so much Ihat we
passed the river of Garonne with great
1 ' For vny nil had tliey Ihe habit and caimtc!.
pain and peril ; for the boat that we were in
was not vecy great, it could not take at one
time but two liorses and their keepers and
they that ruled the boat. And so when we
were over, we rode to Casseres and abode
there all that day : and in the mean time
that our supper was a dressing, this knight
said to me : ' Sir John, let us go and see
the town ' ; and so we passed along through
the town and came to the gate toward
Falaminich and went out thereat and came
to the dikes. Then the knight shewed me
a pane of the wall and said : ' Sic, see you
yonder part of the wall which is newer than
all the remnant?' 'Yea, sir,' quoth I.
' Well,' quoth he, ' I shall shew you why
it is so : it is a ten year past sith it for-
tuned. Ye have heard or this of the war
that was between the earl of Atmagnac
and the earl of Foix ; howbeit, now they
are at peace : but the Armagnacs and
d'Albrets won but little by that war, for on
a Saint Nicholas even the year of our Lord
a thousand three hundred threescore and
two the earl of Foix look in battle the earl
of Armagnac and the lord d'Albcet his
□ephew and all the noblemen that were
with Ihem, and so led them as prisoners to
Orthei, whereby the earl of Foix hath re-
ceived ten times a hundred thousand ftanks.
And it fortuned after that the father of the
eart of Armagnac now living, called sir
John of Armagnac, made a journey and
look this town of Casseres, and they bad
with them a two hundred men of arms and
so thought to keep the town by strength.
These tidings when they came lo the know-
ledge of the earl of Foix, being as then at
Fenne, he tike a sage and valiant knight
called to him two tmtard brethren of his
called sir Arnold Guillaume and sir Pier de
Beam, and said lo them : " Sirs, I will ye
ride incontinent to Casseres : I shall send
you men on every side and within three
days I shall be with you myself; and let
none come out of the town, but that ye
tight with them, fur ye shall be strong
enough. And when ye come there, cause
the men of the country to bring thither
great plenly of wood, hushes and &ggots,
and choke the gates therewith, and then
without that make strong barriers : for I
will that they that be within be so enclosed
that they issue not out of the gates ; I shall
! them to take another way.'
i
3i6
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
'These two knights did his command-
ment and so went to Palaminich, and all
men of war of Beam followed them, and
so they came before this town of Casseres.
They that were within set little by them,
but they were not ware how they were en-
closed within the town, so that they could
not issue out at any gate ; and the third
day the earl of Foix came thither with five
hundred men of arms, and as soon as he
came, he caused barriers to be made round
about the town and also barriers round
about his host, because they should not be
troubled in the night time. So in this case
they lay long without any assault, insomuch
that victual began to fail them within, for
though they had wine great plenty, they had
nothing to eat, nor they could not fly away
by the river, for it was as then too deep.
Then they thought it were better to yield
themselves as prisoners than to die so
shamefully for famine, and so fell in treaty.
The earl of Foix agreed to their treaty, so
that they should not issue out at no gate,
but to make a hole in the wall and go
out thereat, to come one by one without
armour, and so to yield them as prisoners.
It behoved them to take this way, and so
made a hole in the wall and issued out one
by one, and there was the earl ready and
all his people in order of battle to receive
them as prisoners ; and ever as they came
out, the earl sent them to divers castles as
prisoners, and his cousin sir John of Armag-
nac, sir Bernard d'Albret, and sir Monaut
of Barbazan, sir Raymond de Benac, sir
Benedict de la Cornille and a twenty of the
best personages he led with him to Orthez,
and or they departed he had of them two
hundred thousand franks ; and thus was this
hole in the wall made.*
And then we went to our supper, and
the next day we rode along by the river of
Garonne and passed by Palaminich, and
then we entered into the land of the earl
of Comminges and Armagnac, and on the
other side was the river of Garonne and
the land of the earl of Foix. And as we
rode, this knight shewed me a strong town
called Materas the Toussac ^ pertaining to
the earl of Comminges, and on the other
side of the river on the mountain he shewed
me two castles pertaining to the earl of
Foix, the one called Montmirail and the
^ Martres-le-Toussac.
other Montclare ; and as we rode betweei
these towns and castles along by the rivet j
of Garonne in a iaXt meadow, this knig^
said to me : ' Sir John, I have seen bee |
many fair scrimmishes and encountaii|i
between the Foixois and Armagnacs, fix*
then there was no town nor castle bat tli
was well furnished w^ith men of war, vi
so they warred each upon other. Tfc
Armagnacs against yonder two castles mde
a bastide and kept it with men of warni
did much hurt in the earl of Foix's Ian
but I shall shew you how it fortuned. Tk
earl of Foix on a night sent his brotkr
Peter de Beam with two hundred spcan;
and with them a four hundred villains of the
country charged with faggots, much wood
and bushes, and brought it to the bastide
and then set fire thereon, and so brent tk
bastide and all them that were within withnt
mercy, and sith it was never made again.'
So in such devices we rode all that diy
along by the river of Garonne, and wht
on the one side and on the other we sav
many fair castles and fortresses. All thit
were on our left hand pertained to the eui
of Foix, and the other side pertained to^
earl of Armagnac. And so thus we passed
by Montpezac, a fair castle and a strong
standing on an high rock, and undemoiui
was the town and the highway, and with-
out the town a little there was a place
called la Garde and a tower ^ between the
rock and the river, which tower had a gate
and a portcullis of iron. Six men might
well keep this passage against all the wond,
for there could no man pass but two on a
front, what for the tower on the one side
and the river on the other side. Then I
said to the knight : * Sir, here is a strong
passage and a mighty country. ' ^ * It is
true,* quoth the knight, *and though the
entry be strong, yet the earl of Foix
did conquer it once, and he and all his
passed the same way with the help of the
archers of England that he had as then in
his company and the great desire that they
had to pass into the country. Come ride
near me, sir,* quoth he, * and I shall shew
you how it was.* And so I rode just by
1 ' A pass called the pas ^ la Garde with a tower
on the road between,' etc.
2 ' Une forte contrde de pays,' which is a corrup-
tion of ' une forte entree de pays,' ' a strong entry
to the country.'
I
FROISSAKTS JOORNEY
317
I, a.Dd [hen be said : ' Sir, on a lim
of ArmagnEic and the lord d'Albret
a five hundred men of war came into
fe counlry of Foix and to the marches of
Imiets, and this was in the beginning of
;"Xugust, when men did galhet in their
■a corns and the grapes were ripe, at which
time there was great abundance in the
^ countiy. Then sir John of Armagnac and
: his company lodged before the town Saver-
s' dun, a little league from the city of {"amiers,
}i and he sent to them of Pamiers that with-
- out they would buy their coma and wines
and pay for them, they said else they would
liien and destroy all l<^ether. Then they
"f I'amieis were in great fear, for the carl
ilioir lord was fer offfrom them, for he w;
as ihen in Beam, and so they were fain
buy their own corns and paid for them fi'
thousand franks, but they desired fifteen
day^ of respite, which was granted ihem.
Then Ibe earl of Foix was informed of all
j this business, and he hasted him as much
c as he might and assembled logetbec his
I men and came saddenly into the city of
bj - PamieiG ' with twelve hundred spears, and
. so had fought with sir John of Atnjagnac,
if he had tarried ; but he departed and
went into the county of Comminges. So
lie had no money of them of Paniiers, for
l)iey had no leisure to tarry therefor; but
-_ then the earl of Foix claimed the same sum,
y for he said he was come and saved their
mon^ and com and had put away all their
enemies, and so he had it to pay his men of
war therewith ; and there he tarried till
they had iuned all theii coin and vintage.'
And so we passed then forby a castle
called Bretice and also by another castle
called Bacelles, all perlaininc to the earl of
Comminges. And as we rode along by the
river, 1 saw a &ir caslle and a great town,
and I demanded of the knight what the
castle was called, and he said it was named
MontesMn, perlaming to a cousin of the
earl of Foix called sir Rt^r d'Espagne, a
great baron in the country and in Tou-
lousain, and as then was seneschal of Car-
L Then I demanded of this knight
id poHscd by the pb
de la Garde l>¥ Ifau pDrlculliB dC iroa and conquered
ToomitaJInimiiDnarihc pas d» la Garde hire is
\<i lose the point af the story, bat the trwuUlor'B
if he were akin to air Charles of Spain, who
was constable of France ; and he answered
and said : ' No, he is not of that blood :
for sir Louis of Spain and this sir Charles
that ye apeak of came both out of the realm
of Spain, and were lineally extraught of
Spain and of France by their mother's side,
and were cousin -germans to king Alphonso
of Spain ; and I served in my youth sir
Louis of Spain in the wars of Brelayne, for
he was always on the party of sir Charles
of Blois against the earl Montfort.' And so
we left speaking of that matter and rode to
Saint-Goussens, a good town of the earl of
Foix. And the next day we dined at Mont-
royal, a good strong town of the French
king's, and sir Roger d'Espagne kept it.
And after dinner we rode the way towards
Lourdes, and ao lode through a great laund
endoring a fifteen leagues, called the launds
Land e-de-Bouc, wherein were many danger-
ous passogesforthievesand evil-doeis: and
in this laund stood the castle of Lameseu,
pertaining to the earl of Foix, a good league
from the town of Toumay [below Mal-
voiain], the which caalle the knight shewed
me and said ; 'Sir, behold yonder is Mal-
voisin. But, sir, have ye heard herebefore
how the duke of Anjou, when he was in this
country and went to Lourdes, what he did
in this country and how he laid siege to
Lourdes and won it, and alao the casUe of
Trigalet on the river side that ye Bee yonder
before as, [which] perlaiiieth to the lord de
laBarthe?' Then I remembered myself and
said : ' Sir, I trow 1 never heard thereof at;
yet ; therefore I pray you shew me the
matter. But, sir, I pray you shew me
where is the river of Garonne become, for
I can see it no more.' 'Ye say truth,'
3UOth the knight; 'it departeth here in
ie entering of these mountains, and it
groweth and Cometh out of a fountain a
three leagues hence, the way to Cataloyne,
by a castle called Saint-Beat, the frontier
of the realm of France toward Aragon; and
there is as now a squire called Ernaulton,
otherwise colled bourg d'Espagne, he is
lord thereof and chatelain of all the counlry,
and he is cousin-german to sir Ri)ger
d'Espagne. If we see him. I shall shew
you him -, he is a goodly person and a
good man of arms and he halh done more
dam^e to them of Lourdes than any other
knight or aquire of all the ' '
«a^^
3i8
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
earl of Foix loveth him right well, for he is
his companion in arms. I will leave to speak
of him, for I think at this feast of Christmas
ye shall see him in the earl of Foix's house ;
but now I shall shew you of the duke of
Anjou, how he came into this country and
what he did.* Then we rode forth fidr and
easily and he b^^n to say as followeth.
CHAPTER XXIII
Of the ^^-ars that the duke of Anjou made
against the Englishmen, and how he re-
co\'ered the castle of Malvoisin in BigCHre.
which was afterward given to the earl of
Foix.
CHAPTER XXIV
How the garrison and castle^ of Lourdes
was cast down and discomfited by the
great diligence that the earl of Foix made.
*Thus,* quoth the knight, *the duke of
Anjou gat the castle of Malvoisin, whereof
he [had] great joy and made it to be kept
by a knight of Bigorre called sir Ciquart of
la Perriere ; and after he gave it to the earl
of Foix, who keepeth it yet and will do as
long as he liveth, and he hath made captain
there a knight of Bigorre, one of his own
lineage, caBed sir Raymond de Lane.
And when the duke of Anjou bad the pos-
session of MalvcHsin and had delivered his
country firom the Englishmen and from the
pillers of the country, then he went and
laid si^e before the castle of Lourdes.
Then the earl of Foix doubted greatly the
duke of Anjou, because he came so near
him, and wist not what he intended.
Then the earl of Foix assembled together
knights and squires and sent them about to |
divers garrisons, and set his brother sir I
Arnold Guillaume in the town of Morlaas \
¥rith two hundred spears [and his other
brother sir Peter of Beam with two hun-
dred spears] in the to¥m of Pau, and sir
Peter of Gabaston into the city of Lescar
with other two hundred spears, and sir
Monaut de Na\-ailles went into the town of
Anhez \*-ith a hundred spears, and Arnold
Barberiel into the to^-n of Montgerbiel
wi:h a hundred spears, sir Fouquart
d'Orcery into the town of Sauveterre i**ith
a hundrevi spears, and I, Espang of Lyon, ,
was sen: to the Mount Marsan with two
1 Or ruthcr, ' of the casdc*
hundred spears. There was no castle
in all Bearn but that was wdl fvovided
with men of war, and the earl himself lay
still at his castle of Orthez by his fl(»ins.'
*W'hy, sir,* quoth I, 'hath he so great
plenty of florins?* *Sir,* quoth he, *at
this hour I think he hath well to the
number of thirty times a hundred thoo*
sand : there is no lord living as now that is
so large and liberal in giving of gifts as be
is.' Then I demanded of him to what
manner of people he was so liberal: he
answered and said : ' To strangers, to
knights and squires coming through hb
country, and to heralds and minstrds, aoid
to every man that speaketh with him;
there is none departeth from him without
some reward, for if any refrise his gift, he
is not content* *Ah Saint Mary, sfr,'
quoth I, 'to what intent keepeth be so
much money, and where doth he get it?
Is his revenues so great, to gather together
such treasure? Sir, I would gladly know
this, if it pleased you.* * Well, sir,' quoth
the knight, 'ye shall know it. But ye
have demanded of me two things : first ye
have demanded of me to what intent he
keepeth such treasure : I shall shew you.
The earl of Foix alway doubt eth of the war
that he had with the earl of Armagnac,
and also for the business of his neighbours,
the French king and the king of Cngland,
whom he would not willingly displease.
For he hath always dissimuled between
them during all the war season unto this
present time ; for he never armed himself
for any of their parties, he hath always
been ever in good case with both parties.
I say to you, and so ye shall say yourself,
when ye have once knowledge of him and
heard him speak, and once know the order
and state of his house, ye shall see that be
is at this day the most sage prince in the I
world ; and there is none so great a lord,
nother the French king nor the king of
Elngland, that will \*-illingly have his evil
will. As for his other neighbours, as the
king of Aragon ox the king of Navarre, he
esteemeth them but little, for he will find
more men of arms, by reason of such
friends as he hath got >ft-ith his gifts, and
money ^ that he hath in treasure, than both ij
those kings can do. For I have heard
1 ' So nnany fnends hath he goc with his giftsand
so many may he have for his money. *
FKO/SSART'S JOURNEY
Lim say that when the king of Cyprus was
in hia country of Beam and moved him to
have gone to the voyage of the Holy
Sepulchre, he had thought the same time
to ha.ve made Euch a journey, that if the
French king or the king of England had
taken that etiterpiise, how there should
have lieen no lord ' should have brought
such a company as he would have done ;
and as yet he is of the same mind : * and
in part that Is one of the causes that he
gathereth such treasure. The prince of
Wales, the season that he reigned in the
country of Acquitaine, being at Bordeaux
on the river of Girotide, thought to have
made him war. The prince menaced him
for the country of Beam and would have
had him to have held his country of him :
and the earl said he would not, and said
how his country of Bearn was so free a
land, that it ought to do homage to no man
of the world. And the prince, vtho at
that time vras great and sore feared, said
how he would compel him perforce ; for
the earl of Armaenac and the lord d'Albret,
who loved not the earl of Foii because of
such victories as he had won on them
before, they (itlled the prince ever in his
ear and enticed him to have made war
against the eail of Foix. Bui the voyage
that the prince made into Spain brake his
purpose : also sir John Chandos, who was
chief of counsel with the prince, was
against it that the prince should make any
war to the earl. The earl of Foix loved
right well sir John Chandos and he him ;
but the earl doubted the prince, because
he vras fierce and courageous, and therefore
he gathered together as much treasure as
he could gel, to the inteot therewith to
defend hiui, if need were : and so he set
great tallies and taxes in all hia country
and in every town, which as yel enduretli
and shall do as long as he livelh : he had
of every fire every year two franks, and
the rich to bear out the poor ; thereby he
gathered, and yet doth, great riches, and
the people payeth it with a marvellous
good vnU, for by reason thereof there is
nother English nor French nor robbers nor
1 ' That alter the king of France and the king of
319
ivers that doth them any hurt to the
.luc of one penny ; and so his country is
safe-guard, and justice truly kept, for in
doing of justice he is right cruel, he is the
it rightful lord that is now Hving. '
ind so with these words we came to
town of Tournay, whereas we should
all night. So then the knight ceased
of his talking, and I remembered well
where we left against the next day ; and
we were lodged at the sign of the Star and
took our ease. And at supper time the
captain of Malvoisin, called sir Raymond
of Lane, came to see us and supped with
us, and brought with him four flagons of
the best wine that I drank of in all my
journey. Those two knights talked long
together, and when it was late the knight
departed and returned to the castle of
Malvoisin. And the next morning we
mounted on our horses and departed from
Toumay and passed by a guide the river of
Lesse,^ and rode toward the city of Tarbes
and entered into Bigorre ; and we left the
way to Lourdes, to Bagneres and to the
castle of Montgaillard on the left hand,
and we rode toward a village called La
Cieutat and did coast it and came to a wood
in the land of the lord of Barbazan ; and we
came near to a castle calle<i Mascaras at the
entry of the country of Laire,* Then the
knight said to me : ' Sir John, behold here
the place of Laire.' And I beheld it well
and advised the country, which seemed to
me right strange : I thought myself but as
lost there, if I tiad not been in the company
with that knight. Then I remembered
the words that this knight had shewed me
two or three days before of that country of
Laifcand of the Mongat of Lourdes. Then
I said lo him : ' Sir, ye shewed me the
last day that when we should be in the
country of Laire that ye would shew me
the manner of the Mongat of Lourdes and
how he died.' ' It b true, sir,' quoth the
knight ; ' come on and ride by me and I
shall shew you.' Then I rode near him to
hear his words, and then he said : ' Sir, in
the season that Peter d'Anchin held the
castle and garrison of Artigat, as I have
3 *Wc pa£Hd by fontiuff ^ guO t^ river of
Lesst ' thai is the Arras.
Ihcnan:
320
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
shewed you before this time, they of the
(garrison of Lourdes sometime rode forth
at adventure iax from their garrison. How-
beit, they had not always the advantage,
for ye may behold here the castle of Bar-
bazan and the castle of Mascaras, wherein
there was always many men of war there,
and in other garrisons, as Bagneres, Tour-
nay, Montgaillard, Salles, Benac, Guiors,
and Tarbes, all French towns and garrisons :
and when these garrisons knew that they
of Lourdes rode other towards Toulouse or
Carcassonne, then they would lay bush-
mcnts for them, and sometime take from
them of Lourdes their- prey and pillage
and sometime they scaped without any
rencounter. And on a time it fortuned
that Ernaulton of Sainte-Colomme and the
Mongat of Saint - Cornille and to the
number of sixscore spears of good men
of war departed from Lourdes about the
mountains between these two rivers Lisse
and Lesse, and so rode near to Toulouse ;
and at their returning they found in the
meadows a great number of beasts, oxen
and kine, hogs, muttons and lambs, and
also they took divers of the good men of
the country prisoners, and so drove all
their prey before them. Then it was
shewea to the captain of Tarbes, a squire
of Gascoyne called Ernaulton Bisette, an
expert man of arms, how they of the gar-
rison of Lourdes were abroad and were
coming homeward with a great prey.
Then he sent to the lord of Benac and to
Anguerrot, eldest son to sir Raymond,^ and
also to the lord of Barbazan, certifying
them how he would ride out against tnem
of Lourdes. The knights and squires of
the country of Bigorre agreed to ride forth
and assembled together at Tournay, and
with them there was the bourg of Spain,
who came from his garrison of Saint-Beat ;
so they were to the number of two hundred
spears, and they had their spies abroad in
the country to know what they of Lourdes
did. On the other side they of Lourdes
h.id abroad their spies, to know if any men
of war were abroad to let them of their
enterprise ; and so much did these that
eitlier party knew what other did. When
they of Lourdes knew how they of the
Freneh garrisons were abroad and tarried
for tluMn at Tournay, then they were in
' That is, sir Raymond dc Lane.
doubt and took counsel what they might
best do to save their prey. Then they
determined to depart their company in two,
the one company to drive before them their
prey with all their varlets, and to go covertly
by the Lande-de-Bouc, and so to pass the
way by the bridge of Tournay and to pass
the river of Lesse between Tournay and
Malvoisin, and the other company to ride
in battle by the mountains and to make
shew to go again into the country of Laire^
by Mascaras, and so to fall in between Bar-
bazan and Montgaillard ; and said that if
they met together about Montgaillard, then
they should be in safe-guard, **for then
we shall be soon at Lourdes." Thus as
they ordained, so they did ; and the bastard
of Cardeillac, Guillonet of Hames and
Perrot Boursier, John Callemin of Bassele,
the Red Squire, and forty spears with all
their varlets, with all their prey, took the
way by the Lande-de-Bouc and so to pass
the river at the bridge between Tournay
and Malvoisin, thinking to meet all together
between Cieutat and Montgaillard : and so
they departed, and the other company, as
Ernaulton of Rostem, Ernaulton of Sainte-
Colomme and the Mongat of Saint-Comille
with fourscore men of arms, there was not
ten varlets among them ; so they made
themselves ready and rode close together
ever looking for their enemies, for they
knew well they were abroad to watch for
them. In like manner as they of Lourdes
had taken their advice and counsel how to
return, in like wise the Frenchmen took
counsel how they might encounter their
enemies ; and sir Monaut of Barbazan and
Ernaulton Bisette said to their company:
** Sirs, we know well how they of Lourdes
are abroad in the fields and driveth before
them great prey and many prisoners. It
should be a great displeasure to us if they
should scape ; therefore let us put ourselves
into two bushments, we are company i
enough so to do." Then it was ordained
that Ernaulton and the bourg of Spain, sir
Raymond of Benac and Anguerrot of
Lane with a hundred spears should keep
the passage at Tournay ; for they knew
well that they of Lourdes with their prey
must needs pass the river of Lesse : and it
was ordained that the lord of Barbazan and
Ernaulton Bisette with a hundred spears
1 Pas-de-Laire.
sliould ride at adventutes. So thus they
departed, and the lord of Bcnac and the
bouig of Spain put themselves in a bush-
nient between Malvoisin and Tournay, and
the other company rode and took the same
way that we be now in, which is called the
" Laire, And here they met with them of
Lourdes ; and when each of ihem saw
other, they alighteil and made them ready
to Bght, and 30 came each against other cry-
ing their cries, " Saint George, Louides 1"
and the other " Our Lady of Bigorre ! "
And so there each came to other with hand
strokes, folning with their spears each at
other a great space, atid as 1 heard reported
of them that were there, at the first brunt
there was none overthrown : atid so when
each of them had a great space foined
each at other, they cast down their spears
and look their axes, and gave therewith
each 10 other great and horrible strokes,
every man with his match, and in that
manner they fought together more than
two hours. And when any of Ihem had
fought so long that they lacked breath,
then they would Jair and easily depart,
and go sit down by a dike side that was
full of water and put off their bassenets and
refresh themselves ; and when they were
well refreshed, they put on their bassenets
and returned again to fight. I believe
there was not such a business, nor a battle
so well fonght sith the battle that was in
Bietayne of thirty against as many, as this
- was here at Mascaras in Bigorre. Thus
they fought hand to hand, and Ernaulton
of Saint e-Colomme was at the point to have
been discomGted by a squire of the country
called Guillooet of Salenges. This Ernaul-
ton of Saiate-Colomme had a varlet, wl
; and when hi
'as sorry, and so came to his
master and took his axe out of his hands
and said ; " Ernaulton, go your way and
rest yon, ye can no longer fight '' : and
(hen he with the axe went to Ihe squire
and gave him such a stroke on the head,
that he was aslorded and had near hand
fallen to the earth. When Guillonet felt
himself stricken, he was sore displeased
and came against the varlet to have stricken
him, but the varlet slept under the stroke
and embraced the squi
travailed with so long fighting, and so the
varlet overthrew him wrestling under him.
Then the varlet said : " I shall slay thee,
lut thon vrilt yield thyself to my
ar," " Who is thy master ? " quoth the
squire. "Ernaulton of Sainte-Colomme,"
?uoth the varlet, "with whom thou hast
mght all this season." The squire saw
that he had not the vantage, but that he
was under the varlet, who had a dagger
ready to strike him ; so he yielded him
to render his body prisoner at Lourdes
within fifteen days after, rescues or no
rescues. This service did this varlet 10 his
master ; and, sir John, I assure you there
were many feats of arms done and many
overthrown and taken prisoners, some to
yield themselves in a certain space at
Taibes and some lo come to Lourdes. They
fought this day hand to hand, Ernaulton
Bisette with the Mongat of Saint -Bazellle 1
they did many a feat of arms between Ihem,
and they fought so long, till they were so
weary that they could aid themselves no
longer ; and there was slain on the place
two captains, the Mongat of Lourdes and
on the other part Ernaulton Bisette. Then
ceased the battle i>y agreement of both
parties, for ihey were so weary that they
could scant hold their axes in their hands :
some unarmed them to refresh themselves
and left their armour in the place. They of
Lourdes bare away with them Ihe Mongat
slain, and the Frenchmen bare Ernaulton
Bisette to Tarbes 1 and 10 the intent that
this battle should be had in remembrance,
whereas Ihe Iwo squires fought there was
set a cross of stone. Behold yonder is the
cross.' And with those words we came to
the cross, and there we said for their souls
a P/iler noster and an Ave Maria.
' By my faith, sir,' quoth I, ' I am glad I
have heard this, for this was a sharp busi-
ness of so little people. But, sir, what
became of them that went with the prey?'
' I shall shew you,' quoth he. ' Thiw came
to the part of Toumay beside Malvoisin, to
have passed there, as th^ had ordained i
and there they found the bushment of the
bourg of Spain, who brake out of their
bushment, and they of Lourdes could not
recule back 1 they had no remedy but to
ailventure theirselves. And I tell you truth,
Ihere was as sore a fight and as long endured
nr longer than that at Mascaras ; and there
■ **•»
7 HE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
m ...6 m m ^ * m
• 4* '. * * • • »
i-'-ii.:. .:. -.' ."tr-riiri 'li i marvellous in arin-^.
.•:*. :.i. . I'. 2.>'; ;:. r.is ha:,'l ; whosoever he
trii-: •;.-.:':-'..•;. 1**:.^: lo I he earlh, for he
y^^.•. ■,.;; c-.'; ■*■:!! ::.Zi':*:zvA r.-j* ovcrcharj^ed
» ■•. •:..-.;. r^ ■:•.-.. H*.- f^ii: there with his
', rt:, ;.i.'. . : *:.•: 'ao '.i.%tain-j, iJic lx>urg of
. :':TT'j* f'alatin of I'earn, and
•- 5. y.-if'r of Navarre callefl
M.."^:.',a, w:jo was an exix:rt
■■j::.". *.'r.ri\ utrc at the Ijusi-
r. ■: \*''^v*^ of Sixain r>lew him,
; :.': wi, ov'rrcome for heat in
y .:.ii'.'.y *.':.': prt,-y was rescued
t.'.'. '<... "Jf'.'zr. or •W::. I'n^'J. w-.-nt therewith :
T.*-.'^ ift':-"; •j:\ *,':.:*:*: -avrrd themselves, and
•:.*r; v.^:r': var;«:'-. who de juried and went
','''zr '.'.•: r^.'*;r of I>e^?':. Thus Ixrcame of
*:..-. <; ■.'::.* .T*: : they of I>^arde.> never lost
:>::'', f: »*> ;?. L^'u a-, they did tlien : they were
oo : .' • ':o J -J •.■ ri. li v>rn e i , and divers delivered
',". ':/'.-. '4:/'': fjZi't for another, for divers of
'-.'::.'. '.'.i* fo jjjh*. here at the place of Laire^
it':r*7 'a.. :';.'! r^y them of ly^urdes : therefore
':v':rv :,i.'*. were courteous one to another :
>. fi r. /,:r.:fij( of their comjjanions.' *Ah:
-,^>.* M:-.'y ! .ir,' 'juoth I, *is the Ixjurg <jf
•r. ■/<.'.:. '/* -./.'^ a rrian as ye sj^.-ak of?' * Yea,
'.if, *.r:!v.' ouoth he, 'for in all Gascovne
•..':':.": is fiOfie like liim in strength of Ixxly : !
»;.erefofe ♦.he earl of Foix hath him ever in !
\.\\ ',o.'f:i/2iny. It j/ussed not a three year ■
V.i* he did in a s^ort a great deed, as I
:^.l -.hew you. So it was, on a Christmas
day the '-•arl of Koix held a great feast and
a plentiful of knights and s^juires, as it is
his usage : and it was a cohl day, and the
earl dined in the hall, and with him great
comj^any of lords ; and after dinner he dc-
j/arfed out of the hall and went up into a
gallery of twenty-four stairs of height, in
which gallery tliere was a great chinmcy,
wherein they made fire when the earl was
there ; and at that time there was Ijut a
small fire, for the earl loved no great fire ;
how!x:it, he liad woofl enough there alxDut
and in IJearn is wood enough. The same
day it was a great frost and very cold ; and
when llie earl was in tlie gallery and saw
the fire so little, he said to the knights and
srjuires al^out him : '' Sirs, this is but a
small fire and llie day so cold." Then
I'>naultun of Si)ain went down the stairs,
and beneath in the court he saw a great
many of asses, laden with wood to serve
' Pas-dc-Laire.
the house. Then he wen: aoi :x< jb
the greaiesi as>es wiib all lie wMii.
laid him on his back, aai v£:::=ri!l
stairs into the gallery and d?ic£sC'i^v7
a>s with all the wood into ihe ci=3ff
the ass's feet upwards : wbereo: :bea
Foix had great joy. and so had iH 'Jxy
were there, and had marvel of his
how he alone came up all the auin
ass and the wood in his neck. '
I took great pleasure in this ti> ui
other that this knight sir Espongce
shewed me, whereby I thought mji
much the shorter : and in shewing of
matters we passed the pass of Laxre and^
castle of Mascaras, whereas the batde
and so we rode near to the castle of
bazan, which is strong and fair and is
in a league of Tarbes, which we saw"
us, and a fair M-ay coasting the rifv
Lisse coming from the mountains
we rode fair and easily at our Idsoe
refresh our horses, and there he
the river,^ the castle and the town of
gaillard and the way that lay to
Then it came to my remembrance D
mand the knight how the duke of
when he was in the country- and tbK
castle of Malvoisin m-as yielded to
came before Lourdes and what k
there ; and with right a good will he
me and said : ' When the duke of
departed from Malvoisin \^ith all 1»
he passed over the river of Lessejt
bridge of Toumay and went and
Bagneres, whereas is a good river
Tarbes ; for this river of Toumay
not thither, but falleth into the i
Garonne beside Mont-au-Li(Hi;*
the duke went and laid si^e to
sir Peter Emaulton of Beam and Jfll*i
brother, Peter d'Anchin, Emanltf
Rostem, Emaulton of Sainte-Col
the Mongat, who as then was Irrinf
Ferando of Miranda, with Barbe-N^
Ixjurg of Cardeillac and the bomg
and certain other companions being
Lourdes. When they were well
of the duke's coming thither, they
1 'PardelMarivifere,**onthe othersideofi
- This river of Toumay is that whidi F"
calls the Lesse (i.e. the Airos), but he is^
in supposing that it £edls into the GtfD|*^
confuses it, no doubt, with the Baise, ^lAaAt^
far from Tournay and falls into the Gam**'
Monluc (Mont-au-Lion). (LettenhoTe, ff* ""
V
h
seif
but
ofl
«n
shoi
Wou
his]
cast;
<lilic
^itli
shoi
aU
«gai
coul
gift
whei
Saw
Saw
and
towi
in c
Moi
the,
8ons
THE DVKE CJ- ^." ": 7
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3^
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
shall never yield up the garrison but to
mine own natural lord the king of England.
Wherefore, brother John, in case that I
stablish you in mine absence to be captain
here, that ye shall swear to me by the faith
of your gentleness that ye shall keep this
castle in like manner and form as I do, and
that for Ufe or death ye fail not." And
John of Beam sware to fulfil his desire.
Then sir Peter Emaulton went to Orthez
and alighted at the sign of the Moon ; and
when he thought it was time, he went to
the castle of Orthez to the earl, who with
great joy received him and made him sit at
his board, and shewed him as great sem-
blant of love as he could ; and after dinner
he said : ** Cousin Peter, I have to speak
with you of divers things, wherefore I will
that ye depart not without my leave."
The knight answered and said : ** Sir, I
shall not depart till it be your pleasure."
Then the third day after, the earl of Foix
said unto him in the presence of the viscount
of Gousserant his brother and before the
lord d'Anchin of Bigorre and divers other
knights and squires, the earl said aloud that
every man might hear him : ** Peter, I sent
for you and ye be come. I will ye know,
the duke of Anjou would me much evil
because of the garrison of Lourdes, which
ye keep, for the which cause my land was
near hand overrun, an good friends had not
been ; and it is his opinion and divers other
of his company, that he hateth me, because,
as they say, how I maintain ^ and sustain
you, because ye be of Beam : and it is not
meet for me to have the evil will of so great
a prince as the duke of Anjou is. Where-
fore I command you, as ye will eschew my
displeasure and by the faith and lineage
that ye owe to me, that ye yield up the
garrison of Lourdes into my hands." When
the knight heard these words, he was sore
abashed and studied a little, remembering
what answer he might make, for he saw
well the earl spake in good faith : ^ how-
beit, all things considered, he said : " Sir,
true it is I owe to you faith and homage,
for I am a poor knight of your blood and
of your country : but as for the castle of
1 By the true text, * And it is his saying and the
opinion of divers other of his company who hate
me, that I maintain,' etc., but the translator's text
had * qu'ilz me haient.'
- * Seriously.'
Lourdes, I will not deliver it to you. Ye
have sent for me to do with me as ye hst^
I hold it of the king of England ; he set me
there, and to none other living will I deliver
it." When the earl of Foix heard that answer,
his blood chafed for ire, and said drawing
out his dagger: "Ah, traitor, sayest thou
nay ? By my head, thou hast not said that
for nought " : and so therewith strake the
knight, that he wounded him in five places,
and there was no knight nor baron that
durst step between them. Then the knight
said : * Ah, sir, ye do me no gentleness, to
send for me and slay me." And yet for
all the strokes that he had with the dagger,
the earl commanded to cast him in prison
down into a deep dike, and so he was and
there died, for his wounds were but evil
looked unto.* * Ah, Saint Mary,* quoth I
to the knight, * was not this a great cruelty?'
'Whatsoever it was,* quoth the knight,
* thus it was. Let one advise him well or
he displease him, for an he be angry, there
is no pardon : he held once his cousin-
german the viscount of Castelbon, who is
his heritor, eight months in the tower of
Orthez in prison, and after ransomed him
at forty thousand franks. * * Why, sir,* quoth
I, *hath the earl of Foix no children?*
* No truly, sir,' quoth he, * by any wife ; but
he hath two young knights that be his
bastards, whom ye shall see, and he loveth
them as well as himself : they be called sir
Yvain and sir Gracien ? ' Then I demanded
if ever he were married. * Yea truly,'
quoth he, * and is yet ; but his wife is not
with him.* * Why, sir, where is she?'
* Sir,* quoth he, * she is in Navarre, for the
king there is her cousin ; she was daughter
to king Louis of Navarre.' Yet then I de-
manded if ever the earl had any children.
*Yes, sir,' quoth he, * he had a fair son,
who had the father's heart and all the
country loved him, for by him all the
country of Bearn was in rest and peace,
whereas it hath been sith in debate and
strife ; for he had married the sister of the
earl of Armagnac* 'Sir,' quoth I, 'what
became of that son, an it may be known ?*
* Sir,* quoth he, * I shall shew you, but not
as now, for the matter is over long and we
are near the town, as ye see. ' Therewith
1 * Ye have sent for me ; therefore ye can do with
me as ye list.' The full text has, * Ye have sent for
me, I have obeyed ; therefore,' etc.
F/fO/SSA/fr'S JOUI^NEV
3aS
I left the knight in peace, and so we cime
to Tarbes and took our lodging at the Star
and there tarried all that day ; for it was a
town of great easement both foi man and
horse with good hay and oats and a fair
The next day after tnass we mounted a.
horseback and depailed from Tarbes and
came to a town called Guiors,' which vali-
antly always held against them of Lourdcs :
and so we passed Vf the town without and
then entered into the country of Beam.
Then the knight stood still and said : ' Sir,
liehold here is Beam ' : and we stood in a
cross way. The knight advised him which
way to take, other to Morkas or lo Pau :
at last we took the way lo Morlaas, riding
over the lannds of Beam, which were right
plain. Then I demanded of him if [he
town of Pau were near us, and he said,
' Yes ' ; and so he shewed me the steeple :
howbeit, the distance was Farther off than
it seemed, for it was an evil way lo ride
because of the mires, lo them that knew not
the country ; and not &r thence was the
castle of Lourdes.^ And I demanded who
was as then captain there. He said that
as then the seneschal of Bigorre was captain
there, admitted by the king of England,
brother lo sir Peter of Beam, as ye have
heard liefote. ' That is true, sir,' quoth I,
' but did he never after go to see the earl of
Foix ? ' He answered and said : ' Sith the
death of his brother he never came there,
but other of hia company hath been ofien
wilh the earl, as Peter d'Auchin, Ernaulton
of Roslem, Ernaullon of Sainte-Colomme,
and other.' ' Sir,' quoth I, ' hath the earl
of Foil made any amends for the death of
that knight, or sony for his death?' 'Yes
truly, sir,' quoth he, ' he was right soriy for
his death ; but as for amends, I know of
none, without it be by secret penance,
masses or prayers. He hath with him the
same knight's son, called John of Beam, a
gracious squire, and the earl loveth him
right well.' ' Ah, sit,' quolh I, ' the duke
■ Saint- P^-de-GuevTB.
i He said, ' Ye&, 1 will she» you the sHcplc of
it, butitisfunhcrDff'than it stems, for it i^an evil
of Anjou, who that would so £dn have the
castle of Lourdes, ought to be well content
wilh the earl of Fois, when he slew such a
knight his own cousin, for to accomplish
bis desire.' ' By my faith, sir,' quolh he,
'so he was : for anon after that the duke
came lo the French king, the king sent'
into this country sir Roger of Spain and a
president of the parliament chamber of
rojis, and letters sealed making mention
how the king did give to the earl of Foix
the ctmnty of Bigorre during his life, to bold
the same of Ihe crown of France. The
gift without any request making, but for all
that the said sir Roger of Spain could do,
say or shew, the earl in no wise would take
the gift ; but he took the castle of Malvoisin,
because it was a free land, for Ihat castle
and the purlenance holdeth of no man but
of God, and also anciently it pertainelh to
his inheritance. The French king by the
means of the duke of Anjou did give il him,
and the earl swate and promised to take it
on a condition that he should never set
man there that should do any evil lo the
realm of France '- and so he did, for such
as were there feared as much the English-
men as any other French garrisons in
Gascoyne, but the Bearnois durst not tun
into the country of Foix.''
CHAPTER XXV
How the peace was made between the duke
of Berry and the earl of Foix, and of the
beginning of the war thai was between the
earl of Foix and the earl of Armagnac.
Al,l. these matters that sir Espang de Lyon
shewed me right well contented me; and
every night as soon as we were at our lodg-
ings,' I wrote ever all that I heard in the
day, the better thereby to have them in re-
membrance, for writing is the best remem-
1 Or by a better teil, 'Anon after Ihe event
(I'advtnue) the king nf France Bnl.' etc
n ' But the BeamMi (or according U ajuMrr
reading, the Englisb) miiuld not d»re lo diiplease
(cDon^lIcier) the count of FoU.' There has been
II codfuMon of 'courrouidet' with ' couiir,' snd of
uitbee
ended
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FQIX AND ARMAGNAC
l%1
Eleanor of Com mioges, aa now c
Boulogne, and near cousin to the earl of
Foix and right inheritor to the county of
Comminges, though that Ihe earl of Ar-
magnac had it in possession, she came to
Orthei to the eail of Foix and brought with
her a young daughter of three year of age.
The carl her cousin made her good cheer
and he demanded her of her business and
whither she was going. " Sir," quoth she,
" I am going into Aragon to mine uncle
and aunt the earl of Urgel, and there I
purpose to abide ; for I have great dis-
■ abide with my husband sir John
\, for I thought he would hare
recoveten mine inheritance of Comminges
from the earl of Aimagnac, whokeepethil
from me and he hath my sister in prison,
and he will do nothing in the matter : he
is so soft a knight, that he will do nothing
but take his ease and eat and drink and to
spend that he hath foolishly ; and I think,
when he is eari, he will take his pleasure
more, therefore I will no longer abide with
liitn and I have brought with me my daugh-
ter, whom I will deliver into your hands,
praying yoa to keep and to nourish her up,
for I trust by reason of bet lineage ye will
not fail thus lo do, for I have hope in you
that ye will keep her. I had much pain to
get her away out of the country and out of
Ihe hands of my husband her father, but
because I take them of Armagnac, mine
adversaries and yours, who would gladly
Eleal my daughter away,' because she is
inheritor of Comminges, therefore I have
brought her unto you. Wherefore, sir, I
require you, fail me not at this business,
and I am sure her father my husband, when
he knoweth that I have 1^ her with you,
he will be right joyful, for he hath said
oftentimes to me that this his daughter
should put him to great doubt." And
when the earl had well heard the words of
Ihe lady Eleanor his cousin, he was right
joyfol, and imagined in himself how that
child after should do him some pleasure,
as by the means of her mother to have a
firm peace with his enemies, or else to
marry her in so high a place that his enemies
should doubt him thereby. Then he an-
swered the lady and said : " Madam and
1 ■ Because I perceive that Ihty of Amagnac
cousin, all that ye desire I shall do it with
right a good will, for I am bound thereto
bj lineage ; and as for your daughter my
cousin, I shall keep her as well as though
she were mine own proper child." " Sir,"
quoth she, "I thank yoo." Thus the
young daughter of Boulogne abode with
the earl of Foix al Orthei and she never
departed thence silh, and the lady her
mother went lo Aragon. She hath been
sith once or twice to see her daughter, hut
she never desired to have her again, for Ihe
earl kept her as well as if she were his own
child. And to the purpose as to the mean
of the peace that 1 shewed you, the earl
imagined to get by her the love again of
the duke of Berry ; and as now at this
present lime the duke of Berry hath great
desire lo be married, and I think by that I
heard at Avignon by the pope, who is
cousin - german to the lad/s father, he
shewed me how the duke of^lSerry desireth
lo have her in marriage.' 'Ah, Saint
Mary, sir," quoth I, ' how your words be lo
me right agreeable ; for it halh done me
great pleasure all that ever ye have shewed
me, which shall not be lost, for it shall be
put in remembrance and chronicled, if God
will send me the grace to return to the
town of Valenciennes, whereas I was bom.
But, 3* ' ... - -
' What
you by my faith ; that so high and valiant
a prince as the earl of Foix is, should be
without iawiiil issue.' 'Sir,' quoth the
knight, 'if he had one, as once he had, be
should be the most joyous pnnce of the
world, and so would be all the country.'
' Why, sir, ' then quoth I, ' is ins land then
without an heir?' 'Nay, sir,' quoth he,
' the viscount of Castelbon, his cousin-
geiman, is his heir.' ' Is he a valiant man
in arms?' quoth I. ' Nay by my faith, sir,'
quoth he, 'and Iherefore the earl lovelh
him not and thinketh to make his two
bastard sons, who be right valiant, his heirs,
and thinkelb to marry them in an high
lineage, for he hath gold and silver enough,
whcret^ he thinketh to get them wives
such as shall aid and comfort them.' 'Sic,'
quoth I, 'it may well be: howbeil, the
thing is not rea.ionable that bastards should
be made heritors of lands.' 'Wherefore
not, sir,' quoth he, 'if [here lock good
heirs ? See you not how the Spaniards
32S
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
have crowned Henry a bastard to be king,
and also they of Portugal crowned a bastard
to their king. It hath been seen in the
world in divers realms that bastards by
force hath reigned. Was not William
Conqueror bastard son to a duke of Nor-
mandy, who conquered all England and
was king there, so that all the kings sith
are descended from him ?' * Sir,' quoth I,
* all this might well be : there is nothing
but that may fall : but they of Armagnac are
right strong, and so thereby this country
shall be ever in war and strife. But, sir, I
pray you shew me the just cause why the
war first moved between them of Foix and
Armagnac' *I will shew you,' quoth the
knight : * I ensure you it is a marvellous
war, for as they say, each of them have
cause.
* Sir, anciently, about a hundred year past,
there was a lord in Beam called Gaston,
a right valiant man in arms and is buried
in the Friars right solemnly at Orthez, and
there ye may see what person he was of
stature and of body, for in his life-time his
picture was made in latten, the which is
yet there. This Gaston lord of Beam had
two daughters ; the eldest was married to
the earl of Armagnac that was then, and
the youngest to the earl of Foix, who as
then was nephew to the king of Aragon,
and as yet the earl of Foix beareth his
arms, for he descended out of Aragon ; his
arms are pal^ gold and gules. ^ And so it
fortuned, that this lord of Beam had a great
war against, the king of Spain that was then,
who came through all Biscay with a great
number of men of war to enter into Beam.
The lord Gaston of Beam, when he was
informed of his coming, he assembled
people on all sides, where he might get
men of war, and wrote letters to his two
sons-in-law, the earl of Armagnac and the
earl of Foix, that they should come to serve
and aid him to defend his heritage. These
letters seen, the earl of Foix, as soon as he
might, assembled his people and prayed all
his friends so much, that he had a five
hundred knights and squires armed and
two thousand varlets with spears, darts
and pavises all a-foot, and so he came into
the country of Beam to serve his father,
who had of him great joy ; and so all they
passed the bridge at Orthez over the river
1 That is, gold and gules in pales.
and lodged between Sauveterre and the
Hospital : ^ and the king of Spain, who
had twenty thousand men, was lodged not
far thence. And there the lord Gaston of
Beam and the earl of Foix tarried for the
earl of Armagnac and thought ever that he
would come, and so tarried for him three
days, and on the fourth day the earl of
Armagnac sent his letters by an herald to
the lord Gaston of Beam and sent him
word how he might not come, nor how he
had nothing to do to bear arms for the
country of Beam. When the lord Gaston
heard those tidings of excusations and saw
how he should have none aid nor comfort
of the earl of Armagnac, he was sore
abashed and demanded counsel of the earl
of Foix and of the other barons of Beam,
how they should maintain themselves
" Sir," quoth the earl of Foix, ** sith we be
here assembled, let us go and fight with
our enemies." This counsel was taken:
then they ordained their people ; they were
a twelve hundred men of arms and six
thousand men a-foot. The earl of Foix
took the first battle, and so ca,me on the
king of Spain and set on his lodgings ; and
there was a great battle and a fierce, and
slain more than ten thousand Spaniards,
and there the earl of Foix took prisoners
the king of Spain's son and his brother and
sent them to his father-in-law the lord
Gaston of Beam, who was in the arear-
guard : and there the Spaniards were so
discomfited, that the earl of Foix chased
them to the port Saint- Andrew ^ in Biscay,
and the king of Spain took the abbey and
did on the vesture of a monk, or else he
had been taken. Then the earl of Foix
returned to the lord Gaston of Beam, who
made him good cheer, as it was reason, for
he had saved his honour and kept his
country of Beam, the which else was likely
to have been lost.
* Because of this battle and discomfiture
that the earl of Foix made on the Spaniards
and for the taking of the king's son and
brother, the lord of Beam had peace with
the Spaniards at his own will. And when
the lord Gaston was returned to Orthez,
there before all the barons of Foix and
Beam that were there present, he said to his
son of Foix : " Fair son, ye are my true and
faithful son ; ye have saved mine honour
1 Hopital-d'Orion. 2 Santander.
i
GASTON DE FOTX
and my counlry. The carl of Armagnac,
who liDlh niHiried mine eldest daughter,
hatli excused himself from this business
ami would not come to defend mine heri-
tage, wherein he should have part. Where-
fore I say, that such part as he should have
by reason of my daughter, he halh forfeit
nnd lost il, and here clearly I inherit you,
my son of Fois, after my decease of all the
whole land, and to yout heirs for ever ;
and I desire, will and commaod all my
subjects to seal, accord and agree to the
sanie." And all answered how they were
well content so to do. Thus by this means,
as I have shewed you, anciently the earls
of Foix were lords of the country of Beam
and hear the cry, arms and name and had
ihe profit thereof: howheit, for all this
Ihey of Armagnac had not their claim quit.
This is the cause of the war between Foix
and Armagnac'
'By my faith, sit,' then quolh I, 'ye
have well declared the matter. I never
heard it before, and now that I Icnow it I
shali put it in perpetual memory, if God
give me mace lo return into my counlry.
Bnt, sir, if I durst, I would fain demand of
you one thing ; by what incident the earl
of Foix' son died.' Then the knight
studied a little and said : ' Sir, the manner
of his death is right piteous: I will not
speak thereof, Wfien ye come to Oilbez,
ye shall find them that will shew you, if ye
demand il." And then I held my peace,
and we rode till we came to Morlaas.
CHAPTER XXVI
Of the great vinuou5ties5 and largeEis that
■ was in the earl of Foix, and the manner
■ of the piteous death of Gaston the earl's
The next day we departed and rode to
dinner to Monlgarbel,' and so to Ertiel,'
and there we drank and by sun-setting we
came lo Orthei. The knight ahghted at
his own lotlging and I alighted at the
Moan, where dwelt a squire of the earl's,
found him in his gallery, for he had liut
dined a little before ; for the earl's nsaige
was always that it
arose out of his bet .
midni^t. The knight
was come thither, and incontinent I was
sent for to my lodging, for he was the lord
of all the world that most desired lo speak
with strainers, lo hear tidings. When the
carl saw me, he made me good cheer and
retained me as of his house, where I was
more than Iwelve weeks, and my horse,
well entreated. The acquaintance of him
and of me was because I had brought with
me a book, which 1 made at the contem-
plation of Wenceslas of Boeme, duke
of Luxembourg and of Brabant, which book
was called the Meliador, cnntaining all
the songs, ballads, rondeaux and virelays,
which the gentle duke had made in his
time, which by imagination I had gathered
together ;' w^nich hook the earl of Foix
was glad to see, and every night after
supper I read thereon to him, and while I
read, there was none durst speak any word,
because he would I should be well under-
standed, wherein he took great solace, and
when it came to any matters of question,
then he would speak to me, not in Gascon
but in good and fair French. And of his
estate and house I shall somewhat record,
for I tarried there so long that I might
well perceive and know much.
This earl Gaston of Ftux, with whom I
was, at that time he was of a fifty year of
age and nine ; and I say I have in my time
seen many knights, kings, princes ami
other, but I never saw none like him of
personage, nor of so fair form nor so well
made. His visage fair, sanguine and smit-
ing, his eyen gray and amorous, whereas
he list to set his regard. In every thing
he was so perfect that he cannot be praised
too much; he loved that ought to be be-
loved, and hated that ought to be hated.
He was a wise knight of high enterprise and
of good counsel : he never had miscreant
with him : he said many orisons every
day, a noclurn of the pKilter, matins of
our Lady, of the Holy Ghost and of the
cross, and dirige.' Every day he gave five
1
:h I had h
gard for,'
mOin^g
itionjof
330
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
florins in small money at his gate to poor
folks for the love of God. He was large
and courteous in gifts : he could right well
take where it pertained to him and to de-
liver again whereas he ought. He loved
hounds of all beasts ; winter and summer
he loved hunting. He never loved folly
outrage nor folly largess ; every month he
would know what he spended : he took in
his country, to receive his revenues and to
serve him, notable persons, that is to say
twelve receivers, and ever from two months
to two months two of them should serve
for his receipt ; for at the two months' end
he would change and put other two into
that office, and one that he trusted best
should be his controller, and to him all
other should account, and the controller
should account to him by rolls and books
written, and the accounts to remain still
with the earl. He had certain coffers in
his chamber, out of the which ofttimes he
would take money to give to lords, knights
and squires, such as came to him, for none
should depart from him without some gift ;
and yet daily multiplied his treasure to re-
sist the adventures and fortunes that he
doubted. He was of good and easy ac-
quaintance with every man and amorously
would speak to them. He was short in
counsel and answers. He had four secre-
taries, and at his rising they must ever be
ready at his hand without any calling, and
when any letter were delivered him and
that he had read it, then he would call
them to write again, or else for some other
thing.
In this estate the earl of Foix lived ; and
at midnight when he came out of his cham-
ber into the hall to supper, he had ever
before him twelve torches brenning, borne
by twelve varlets standing before his table
all supper. They gave a great light, and
the hall ever full of knights and squires,
and many other tables dressed to sup who
would. There was none should speak to
him at his table, but if he were called.
His meat was lightly wild fowl,^ the legs
and wings all only, and in the day he did
but little eat and drink. He had great
pleasure in harmony of instruments : he
could do it right well himself: he would
have songs sung before him. He would
1 * Volaille.' The word ' lightly ' is a translation
of * par coustume. '
gladly see conceits and fantasies^ at his
table, and when he had seen it, then he
would send it to the other tables.
Briefly all this I considered and advised;
and or I came to his court, I had been in
many courts of kings, dukes, princes, earls
and great ladies, but I was never in none
that so well liked me, nor there was none
more rejoiced [in] deeds of arms than the
earl did : there was seen in his hall, cham-
ber and court, knights and squires of honour
going up and down and talking of arms
and of amours : all honour there was
found, all manner of tidings of every realm
and country there might be heard, for out
of every country there was resort for the
valiantness of this earl. There I was in-
formed of the most part of the deeds of
arms that was done in Spain, in Portugal,
in Aragon, in Navarre, in England and in
Scotland and in the frontiers and limita-
tions of Languedoc ; for I saw come thither
to the earl while I was there knights and
squires of all nations, and so I was in-
formed by them and by the earl himself of
all things that I demanded.
There I enquired how Gaston the earl's
son died, for sir Espang de Lyon would not
shew me anything thereof ; and so much I
enquired that an ancient squire and a not-
able man shewed the matter to me and
began thus : * True it is,* quoth he, * that the
earl of Foix and my lady of Foix his wife
agreeth not well together, nor have not done
of a long season, and the discord between
them first moved by the king of Navane,
who was brother to the lady. For the
king of Navarre pledged himself for the
lord d'Albret, whom the earl of Foix had
in prison, for the sum of fifty thousand
franks ; and the earl of Foix, who knew
that the king of Navarre was crafty and
malicious, in the beginning would not trukt
him, wherewith the countess of Foix had
great displeasure and indignation against
the earl her husband, and said to him:
" Sir, ye repute but small honour in the
king of Navarre my brother, when ye wiU
not trust him for fifty thousand franks.
Though ye have no more of the Armagnacs
nor of the d'Albrets than ye have, it ought
to suffice. And also, sir, ye know well
ye should assign out my dower, . which
1 That is, ' strange kinds of dishes ' (estranges
entremets).
Ills SON'S DEATH
33*
mounteth to fifty thousand franks, which
ye should put iiiio the hands of tny brothei
the king of Navarre i wherefore, sir, ye
cannot be evil paid." " Dame," quoth he,
"ye say truth; but ifl thought that the king
of Navarre would stop the payment for that
cause, the lord d'AlbreC should never have
gone out of Orthez, and so I should have
been paid ' to the last penny ; and silh ye
desire it, I wiii do it, not for the love of you
but for the love of my son." So by these
words and by the king of Navarre's obli^-
tion, who liecame debtor to the earl of Fois,
the lord d'Albret was delivered quit, and
became French and was married in France
to the sister of the duke of Bourbon, and
paid il his ease to the king of Navaire the
sum of (ifty thousand franks for his ransom,
for the which sum the king was bound to
the earl of Foix, but he would not send
to the earl. Then the earl of Foix said
to his wife: "Dame, ye must go ir
Navarre to the king your brother and shi
vlai
)t weU c
that he will i
received of mii
she was ready to go at his commandme
and so she departed and rode to Fampeli
to the king her brother, who received her
with much joy. The lady did her mes-
sage from point to point. Then the king
answered ; " Fair sister, the sum of money
is yours ; the earl should give it for you
dower : it shall never go out of the realn
of Navarre, sith I have it in possession.'
"Ah, sir, "quoth the lady, " by this ye shal
set great hate between the earl my husband
and you, and if ye hold your purpose, I
dare not return again into the county of
Foix, for my husband will slay me, he will
say I have deceived him." " I cannot tell,"
quoth the king, " what ye will do, other
tarry or depart ; but as for the money, I
will not depart from it : it pertainelh to
me to keep it foi: you, but it shall never go
out of Navarre." The countess could have
none other answer of the king her brother,
and so she tarried still in Navarre and durst
not return again. The earl of Foix, when
he saw the dealing of the king of Navarre,
he began to hate his wife and was evil con-
tent with her : howbeit, she was in no
fault, but that she returned not again when
1 'ShodlJ urvtr so out of OrlhK, ond so 1
she had done her message ; but she durst
not, for she knew well the earl her husband
was cruel where he took displeasure : thus
the matter standeth.
'The earl's son called Gaston grew and
waxed goodly and was married to the
daughter of the earl of Armagnac, a bxi
lady sister to the earl that now is, the lord
Bertrand of Annagnac, and by the con-
junction of that marriage there should have
been peace between Foix and Armagnac :
the child was a fifteen or sixteen year of
age and resembled right well to his father.
On a time he desired to go into Navarre to
see his mother and his uncle the king of
Navarre, which was in an evil hour for him
and for alt this country. When he was
come into Navarre, he had there good
cheer and tarried with his mother a. certain
space and then took bis leave ; but for all
that he could do, he could not get his
mother otit of Navarre, to have gone with
him into Foix, for she demanded if the earl
bad commanded him so to do or no, and
he answered that when he departed, the
eaii spake nothing thereof; therefore the
lady durst not go thither, hut so tarried
still. Then the child went to Pampelone
to take his leave of the king his uncle : the
king made him great cheer and tarried him
there a ten days and gave to him great
gifts and to his men : also the last gift thai
the king gave him was his death ; I shall
' ew you how.
'Whenthiagentlemanshould depart, the
king drew him apart into his chamber and
~ave him a Utile purse fiill of powder,
■hich powder was such that if any creature
livingdid eat thereof, he should incontinent
die without remedy. Then the king said ;
"Gaston, fair nephew, ye shall do as I
shall shew to you. Ye see how the eail
of Foix your &ther wrongfully hath your
lotlier my sister in great hale, whereof 1
•a sore displeased and so ought ye to be,
Howbeit, to perform all the matter and
(hat your father should love again your
mother, to that Intent ye shall take a little
powder and put it on some meat,
that your father may eat it, but beware
that no man see you. And as soon as he
hath eaten it, he shall intend to nothing
have again his wife and so to love
;r after, which ye ought greatly to
desire ! and of ibis that I shew you let l^
1
332
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
man know, but keep it secret, or else ye
lose all the deed." The child, who thought
all that the king said to him had been true,
said : ** Sir, it shall be done as ye have de-
vised " : and so departed from Pampelone
and returned to Orthez. The earl his
father made him good cheer and demanded
tidings of the king of Navarre and what
gifts he had given him, and the child
shewed him how he had given him divers,
and shewed him all except the purse with
the powder. Ofttimes this young Gaston
and Yvain his bastard brother lay together,
for they loved together like brethren and
were like arrayed and apparelled, for they
were near of a greatness and of one age.
And it happened on a time, as their clothes
lay together on their beds, Yvain saw a
purse at Gaston's coat and said : " What ;
thing is this that ye bear ever about you?"
whereof Gaston had no joy and said :
"Yvain, give me my coat, ye have nothing
to do therewith " : and all that day after
Gaston was pensive. And it fortuned a
three days after, as God would that the
earl should be saved, Gaston and his brother
Yvain fell out together playing at tennis,
and Gaston gave him a blow ; and the child
went into his father's chamber and wept,
and the earl as then had heard mass. And
when the earl saw him weep, he said :
" Son Yvain, what ailest thou ? " " Sir,"
quoth he, "Gaston hath beaten me, but he
were more worthy to be beaten than I."
**Whyso?" quoth the earl, and inconti-
nent suspected something. " By my faith,
sir," quoth he, "sith he returned out of
Navarre, he beareth privily at his breast a
purse full of powder, I wot not what it is
nor what he will do therewith, but he hath
said to me once or twice that my lady his
mother should shortly be again in your
grace and better beloved than ever she
was." "Peace," quoth the earl, "and
speak no more, and shew this to no man
living." "Sir," quoth he, "no more I
shall."
' Then the earl entered into imagination,
and so came to the hour of his dinner and
washed and sat down at his table in the
hall. Gaston his son was used to set down
all his service and to give the says ; ^ and
when he had set down the first course, the
1 ' ?\iisoit c<say de toutes ses viandes,' 'made
assay of all his meats.'
carl cast his eyen on him and saw the striif
of the purse hanging at his bosom. Thenla
blood changed, and said : " Gaston, cone
hither, I will speak with thee in thine ear.'
The child came to him and the earl took
him by the bosom and found out the pma
and with his knife cut it from his bosom
The child was abashed and stood still vk
spake no word and looked as pale as ashs
for fear and began to tremble. Thecal
of Foix opened the purse and took of tk
powder and laid it on a trencher of brd
and called to him a dog and gave it ha
to eat ; and as soon as the dog had eats
the first morsel, he turned his eyen inii
head and died incontinent. And when tk
earl saw that, he was sore displeased, vk
also he had good cause, and so rose fr«
the table and took his knife and would hi«
stricken his son : then the knights ai
squires ran between them and said : "S«i
for God's sake have mercy and be not fl
hasty : be well informed first of the mattci^
or ye do any evil to your child." Andtk
first word that the earl said was: "M
Gaston, traitor, for to increase thine heritJp
that should come to thee I have had i«
and hatred of the French king, of the tiif
of England, of the king of Spain, of tk
king of Navarre and of the king of AngA
and as yet I have borne all their malice
and now thou wouldest murder mc. K
moveth of an evil nature, but first thou dal
die with this stroke." And so stept fcA
with his knife and would have slam faii^
but then all the knights and squires kneeki
down before him weeping and said : "Al^
sir, have mercy for God's sake, slay not
Gaston your son ; remember ye have •
more children. Sir, cause him to be kcft
and take good information of the matta:
peradventure he knew not what he \M
and peradventure is nothing guilty of tk
deed." "Well, "quoth the earl, * * incontinot
put him in prison, and let him be so ke(it
that I may have a reckoning of him.**
* Then the child was put into the towtf,
and the earl took a great many of them tW
served his son, and some of them departed;
and as yet the bishop of Lescar is at Fm
out of the country,^ for he was had ii
suspect and so were divers other. The
earl caused to be put to death a fifteen ri^
1 * And the liishop of Lescar near Pau is stiD o*
of the country.'
horribly, imd the muse that the earl laid to
them was, he said it could be none other-
wise but that they knew of the child's
secrets ; wheiefore they ought to haye
shewed it to him and to have Said : " Sir,
Gaston your son beaieth a purse at his
bosom." Because they did not thus, they
died horribly, whereof it was great pity, for
some of them were as fresh and as jolly
squires as were any in all the country, for
ever the earl was served with good men,
' This thing touched the earl near to the
heart, and that he well shewed. For on a
cla.y he assembled at Orthez all the nobles
and prelates of Foix and of Bcarn and all
[he notable persons of his country ; and
when they were all assembled, he shewed
them wherefore he sent for them, as bow he
had found his son in this default, for the
which he said his intent was to put him to
death, as he had well deserved. Then all
the people answered to that case with one
voice and said: "Sir, saving your grace,
we will not that Gaston should die : he is
your heir and ye have no more." And
when the earl heard the people how they
desired for his son, he somewhat refrained
llis ire. Then he thought to chastise him
in prison a month or two and then lo send
him on some voyage for two or Ihtee year,
till he might somewhat forget his evil will
and that the child might be of greater age
and of more knowledge. Then he gave
leave lo all the people to depart ; but they
of FoU would not deiiart from Orlbez till
the earl should assure them that Gaston
should not die, they loved the child so well
Then the earl promised them, but he said
he would keep him in prison a certain space
to chastise him : and so upon this promise
every man departed, ami Gaston abode
still in prison. These tidings spread abroad
into divers places, and at that time pope
(.^rt^oty the eleventh was at Avignon.
Then he sent the cardinal of Amiens in
earl of Fout for that business, and by that
. time he came to Beziers, he heard such
tidings that he needed not lo go any further
for that matter, for there he heard how
Gaston son to the earl of Foix was dead.
Silb I have shewed you so much, now shall
I shew you how he died.
■ The earl of Foix caused his son lo be kept
in 3 dark chamber in the lower of Orihcz
a ten days. Little did he eat or drink, yet
he had enough brought him eveiyday ; but
when he saw it, he would go therefrom and
set little thereby, and some said that all the
meat that had 1>ecn brought him stood
whole and entire the day of his death,
wherefore it was great marvel that he lived
so long. For divers reasons the eail caused
him to be kept in the chamber alone with-
out any company, other to counsel or com-
fort him, and all that season the child lay
in his clothes, as he came in, and he argued
in himself and was full of melancholy and
cursed the time that ever he was bom and
engendered, to come to such an end. The
same day that he died, they that Served him
of meat and drink, when they came to him
they said: " Gaston, here is meat for you."
He made no caie thereof, and said : " Set it
down there." He that served him regarded
and saw tn the prison all the meat stand
whole, as it had been brought him before,
and so departed and closed the chamber
door and went to the earl and said : " Sir,
for God's sake have mercy on your son
Gaston, for he is near famished in prison.
There he lieth: I think he never did eat
anything silh he came into prison, for I
have seen there this day al! that ever I
brought him before tying together in a
corner. Of those words the earl was sore
displeased, and without any word Epeaking
went out of his chamber and came lo the
Erison where his ion was ; and in an evil
our he had the same lime a little knife in
his hand to pare withal his nails. He
opened the prison door and came to his
son and had the little knife in his hand not
an inch out of his hand, and in great dis-
pleasure he thrust his hand to his son's
throat, and the point of the knife a little
entered into his throat into a certain vein,
and said ; " Ah, traitor, why dost thou not
eat thy meat ? " and therewith the earl de-
parted without any more doing or saying
and went into his own chamber. The
child was abashed and afraid of the coming
of his father and also was feeble of fasting,
and the point of the knife a little entered
into a vein of his throat, and so fell down
suddenly and died. The earl was scant in
his chamber, but the keeper of the child
came lo him and said : "Sir, Gaston your
son is dead." "Dead!" quoth ihe earl,
" Yea truly, sir." quoth he. The car! wauVi
334
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
not believe it, but sent thither a squire that
was by him, and he went and came again
and said : ** Sir, surely he is dead." Then
the earl was sore displeased and made great
complaint for his son and said : ** Ah,
Gaston, what a poor adventure is this for thee
and for me. In an evil hour thou wentest
to Navarre to see thy mother. I shall
never have the joy that I had before."
Then the earl caused his barber to shave
him, and clothed himself in black, and all
his house, and with much sore weeping the
child was borne to the Friars in Orthez and
there buried. Thus as I have shewed you the
earl of Foix slew Gaston his son, but the
king of Navarre gave the occasion of his
death.'
CHAPTER XXVII
How sir Peter of Beam had a strange disease,
and of the countess of Biscay his wife.
When I had heard this tale of the death of
Gaston son to the earl of Foix, I had great
ity thereof for the love of the earl his
ather, whom I found a lord of high recom-
mendation, noble, liberal and courteous,
and also for love of the country, that should
be in great strife for lack of an heir. Then
I thanked the squire and departed from
him ; but after I saw him divers times in
the earl's house and talked oftentimes with
him. And on a time I demanded of him
of Sir Peter of Beam, bastard brother to
the earl of Foix, because he seemed to me
a knight of great valour, whether he were
rich, and married or no. The squire an-
swered and said : * Troly he is married,
but his wife and children be not in his
company.' * And why, sir ? * quoth I. * I
shall shew you,' quoth the squire.
* This sir Peter of Beam hath an usage,
that in the night time while he sleepeth, he
will rise and arm himself and draw out his
sword and fight all about the house and
cannot tell ^^ith whom, and then goeth to
bed ac^n : and when he is waking, his
ser\ants do shew him how he did, and he
would say he knew nothing thereof and
how they lied. Sometime his servants
would leave none armour nor sword in his
chamber, and when he would thus rise and
find none armour, he would make such
I
a noise and rumour as though all the devils
of hell had been in his chamber.* Then I
demanded if he had great lands by his wif&
* Yes truly, sir,' quoth he, * but the lady by
whom Cometh the land joyeth of tlie
profits thereof ; this sir Peter of Beam hatk
but the fourth part.* * Sir,' quoth I, 'where
is his wife?* *Sir,* quoth he, *she is in
Castile with the king her cousin. Ha
father was earl of Biscay and was cousa-
german to king don Peter, who slew hin,
and also he would have had the lady to
have put her in prison, and he took tke
possession of all the land, and as long as he
lived the lady had nothing there. And it
was said to this lady, who was countess of
Biscay after the decease of her fether:
** Madam, save yourself, for king don Peta;
if he may get you, will cause you to die a
else put you in prison, he is so sore displeased
with you, because he saith ye should rqxit
and bear witness that he caused the qaeei
his wife to die in her bed, who was sisterto
the duke of Bourbon and sister to tk
French queen, and your words, he saitl^
are believed rather than another, because ]e
were privy of her chamber. ** And for t»
cause the lady Florence countess of Bisaj
departed out of her country with a smv
company, as the common usage is to l|f
from death as near as men can ; so ^
went into the country of Basques aiil
passed through it, and so came hitherto
Orthez to the earl and shewed him all Itf
adventure. The earl, who had ever pityct
ladies and damosels, retained her, and *
she abode with the lady of Corasse, a git<
lady in his country. As then this sir PdB
of Beam his brother was but a young knight
and had not then this usage to rise a n^ht^
as he doth now. The earl loved him ivdH
and married him to this lady and recoveR^
her lands, and so this sir Peter had by 60
lady a son and a daughter, but theybeiviik
their mother in Castile, who be as yet W
young, therefore the lady would not Its'*
them with their father. * * Ah, Saint Maif'
quoth I, * how did sir Peter of Beam tak
this fantas)^ first, that he dare not sleep
alone in his chamber, and that, when he is
asleep, riseth thus and maketh all tfait
business ? They are thii^ to be marvdW
aL* * By my faith,' quoth the squire, *1*
hath been often demanded thereof bot be
saith he cannot tell whereof it comedk
PETER OF BEARN
33S
The first time [hat ever he did so was the
night after that bE had been on a day a
hunting in the woods of Biscay, and chased
a marvellous great bear, and the bear had
slain four of nis hounds and hurt divers,
50 that none durst come Dear him. Then
this sir Peter took a sword of Bordeaux and
came in great ire for hecause of his hounds,
and assailed the bear and foDgbt long with
hirn, !ind was in great peril and took great
Eain or he could overcome him. Finally
e slew the bear and then returned to his
lodging, to the Castle of Len(,Tiidendon in
Biscay, and made the bear to be brought
with him. Every man had marvel of the
greatness of the beast and of the hardness
of the Itnight, how he durst assail the bear.
And when the countess of Biscay his wife
saw the bear, she felt in a swoon and had
great dolour, and so she was borne into her
chamber, and so all that day, the night
after and the next day she was sore di scorn -
fortad and would not shew what she ailed.
On the third day she said to her husband ;
" Sir, I shall not be whole till I have been
a pilgrimage at Saint James. Sir, I pray
you give me leave to go thither and to
have with me my son and Adrienne my
daughter." Her husband agreed thereto:
she took all her gold, jewels and treasure
with her, for she thought never to return
again, whereof her husband took no heed.
So the lady did her pilgrimage and made
nn errand to go and see the king of Castile,
her cousin, and the queen. They made her
good cheer, and there she is yet and will not
return again nor send her children. And
so thus the next night that this sic Peter
had thus chased the bear and slain him,
while he slept in his bed, this fantasy took
him ; and it was said that the countess his
wife knew well, as soon as she saw the
liear, that it was the same that her father
did once chase, and in hb chasing he heard
n voice, and saw nothing, that said to him :
" Thou chasest me, and I would thee no
hurt : therefore Ihoushalt die an evil death."
Of this the lady had remembrance, when
she saw the bear, by that she had heard her
father say before, and she remembered
well how king don Peter slrake off her
father's head without any cause, and in like
wise she feared her husband : ' and yet she
saith and mointaineth that he shall die of
an evit death, and that he doth nothing as
yet to that he shall do hereafter. Now,
sir, I have shewed you of sir Peter of
Beam, as .ye have demanded of me ; and
this is a true tale, for thus it is and
thus it bcfel. How think you,' quoth he,
' thereby ? '
And I, who mused on the great marvel,
said ; ' Sir, I believe it well, that it is as ye
have said. Sir, we lind in old writing that
anciently such as were called gods and
goddesses ' at their pleasure would change
and transform men into beasts and into
fowls, and in like wise women. And it
might be so, that this bear was before some
knight chasing in the forest of Biscay, and
peradventure displeased in that time some
god or goddess, whereby he was trans-
formed unto a bear, to do there his penance,
as anciently Acteon was changed unto an
hart.' 'Acteon!' quoth the squire, 'I
Say you shew me that story ; I would fain
■ar It.' ' Sir,' quoth 1, ' according to the
ancient writings we find how Acteon was a
jolly and an expert knight, and loved the
sport of hunting above all games. And on
a day he chased in the woods, and an hart
arose before him marvellous great and fair.
He hunted him all the day and lost all his
company, servants and hounds, and be was
right desirous to follow his prey and fol-
lowed the fewe of the haittill he came into
a little meadow, closed round about with
woods and high trees ; and in the meadow
there was a fair fountain, in the which
Diana goddess of chastity was baining her-
self, and her damosels about her. The
knight came suddenly on them, or he was
ware, and he was so hi forward that he
could not go hack ; and the damosels were
abashed to see a stranger and ran to their
lady and shewed her,' who was ashamed,
because she was naked. And when she
saw the knight, she said : "Acteon, they
that sent thee hither loved thee but little :
I will not that when thou art gone hence
in other places, that thou shouldest report
that thou hast seen me naked and my
damosels ; and for the outrage that thou
^ ' Lea dieiu ct 1u d^essu ' : the qualification
336
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
hast done thou must have penance. There-
fore I will that thou be transformed in the
likeness of the same hart that thou hast
chased all this day." And incontinent
Acteon was turned unto a hart, who
naturally loveth the water. ^ In like wise
it might be of the bear of Biscay, and how
that the lady knew peradventure more than
she would speak of at that time. There-
fore she ought the better to be excused.'
The squire answered and said : * Sir, it
may well be.* Then we left our talking
for that time.
CHAPTER XXVIII
Of the great solemnity that the earl of Foix
made at the feast of Saint Nicholas, and
the tale that the bascot of Mauleon shewed
to sir John Froissart.
Among other solemnities that the earl of
Foix kept on the high feasts of the year, he
kept the feast of Saint Nicholas in great
solemnity, he and all his land, as great as
at the feast of Easter. And this was
shewed me by a squire of his house the
third day that I came hither, and I saw it
myself right well apparent, for I was there
on the same day. First all the clergy of
the town of Orthez and all the people, men,
women and children, with procession came
to the castle to fetch the earl, who all afoot
departed from his castle and went with the
clergy a procession to the church of Saint
Nicholas, and there the clergy sang a
psalm of the psalter : Benedictus dominus
deiis meuSf quidocet manus meets adprodium
et digitos tneos ad bellum, etc. And when
this psalm was sung, then they began to
sing as they did on Christmas day or Easter
day in the pope's chapel or the French
king's, for he had with him many singers :
the bishop of Pamiers sang the mass, and
there I heard as good playing at organs
as ever I heard in any place. To speak
briefly and according to reason, the earl of
Foix then was right perfect in all things, and
as sage and as perceiving as any high prince
in his days : there was none could compare
with him in wit, honour nor in largess. At
the feasts of Christmas, which he kept ever
1 'Ay me les eaues' ; but this is apparently a
corruption of ' ayme les chiens,' the idea being that
the hart enjoys the sport of being hunted.
right solemn, came to his house many
knights and squires of Gascoyne, and to
every man he made good cheer. There I
saw the bourg of Spain, who laid the wood
and the ass on the fire tc^ether, of whom
sir Espang de Lyon shev/ed of his force,
and I was glad to see him, and the earl of
Foix made him good semblant. There I
saw also knights of Aragon and of England
of the duke of Lancaster's housey who as
then lay at Bordeaux. The earl made
them good cheer and gave them great gifts.
I acquainted myself with those knights, and
by them I was informed of many things
that fell in Castile, in Navarre and in
Portugal, of the which I shall speak of
when time requireth hereafter.
And on a day I saw a squire of Gascoyne
called the bascot of Mauleon, a man of a
fifty year of age, an expert man of arms
and a hardy by seeming. He alighted at
my lodging in Orthez at the sign of the
Moon, at Emaulton du Puy*s- He brought
with him his somers and carriages, as
though he had been a great baron, and was
served, both he and his servants, in silver
vessel. And when I heard his name and
saw the earl of Foix and every man do him
so much honour, then I demanded of sir
Espang de Lyon and said : ' Sir, is not this
the squire that departed from the castle of
Trigalet when the duke of Ajijou lay at siege
before Malvoisin ? ' * Yes truly, ' quoth he, *it
is the same, and he is a good man of arms
and a good captain.' And so then I fell hi
acquaintance with him, for he was lodged
thereas I was, and a cousin of his called
Ernaulton, captain of Carlat in AuvergnCi
with whom I was well acquainted, helped
me to be acquainted with him, and in oke
wise so did the bourg of Campagne. And
at a time, as we were taking and devising of
arms, sitting by the fire abiding for nrid*
night, that the earl should go to suppefi
then this squire's cousin began to recloB
up his life ^ and of the deeds of arms that
he had been at, saying how he had endured
as much loss as profit. Then he demanded
of me and said : ' Sir John, have ye ia
your history anything of this matters that
I speak of]?' And I answered and sjuds
* I could not tell till I hear them : shew
forth your matter, and I will gladly hear yoa,
1 * His cousin put him in the way of speakinf
and telling of his life.'
THE BASCOT OF MAUI.EON
337
ihe
caplal of Buch st Ihe batlle of Poitiers,
and as [t wns my hap, I bad that day three
prisoners, a Itnight and twQ squitea, of
wham 1 had one with another four hundred
thousand Tranks. The next year a.rter, I was
in Pruce with the earl of Foix and the captal
his cousm, under whom I was ; and at
oiir return at Meaux in Brie we found the
duchess of Normandy that was then, and
the dnchess of Orleans and a. gieat number
of ladies and daniosels, who were closed in
and besieged hy them of the Jaquerie ; and
if God had not helped them they had been
enforced and defoiled, for they were of
great puissance and in number more than
ten thousand, and the ladies were alone.
And so we in the aid of those ladies did
set on them, and there were slain of the
Jaquerie more than six thousand, and they
rebelled never sith.
' At that liraeit was truce belween France
nnd England, hut the king of Navarre
made war in his own quarrel against Ihe
French king and regent. The eati of Foix
returned into bis own country ; hut my
niaster the captal, and I and other abode
Etill with the king of Navoiie for his
wages ; and then we and other that aided
us made great war in France and specially
in Ficardy, and took many towns and
castles in the bishoprics of Beauvais and
Amiens, and as then we were lords of
Ihe lields and rivers and conquerAI great
finance. And when the truce failed be-
lween England and France, then the king
of Navarre ceased his war and took a peace
between the regent and him. Then the
king of England with a great puissance
passed the sea and came and laid siege lo
Ihe town of Rheinis. Then the king of
England sent for my master, who Was at
Clermont in Beauvoisin, and there made
war for Ihe king against all Ihe country :
then we came to the king of England and
to his children. And then,' quoth the
squire lo me, 'Sir John, I think ye know
already all that matter, and how the king
of England wedded his wife,^ and how he
came before Chartres, and how the peace
was made there between these two kings.'
' That is true, sir,' quoth I, ' in writing I
have it and the continue of all the treaties.'
Then the bascot of Mauleon spake again
and said : ' When this peace was thus made
belween these two kings, it was ordained
that all men of war and companions should
avoid and leave their fortresses and castles
that they held. Then all manner of men
of war and poor companions drew ti^ether,
and ihe captains took counsel what they
should do : and then they said : ' ' Though
these two kings have taken peace together,
yet we must live." Then they went into
Burgoyne, and there were captains of all
nations, English, Gascons, Spaniards,
NavatroiSi Almains, Scots and of all
manner of nations, and there I was as a
captain ; and there we found in Burgoyne
and about the river of Loire of our company
a. twelve thousand of one and other, and in
the sajne company there were a three or
four thousand of good and chosen men of
war, and as subtle in all deeds of aims as
might be and apt to advise a battle and to
lake their advantage, and as hardy lo scale
and assail town or castle ; and that was
well seen at the battle of Bngnais, whereas
we overthrew the coi^stable of France and
the earl of Forez and two thousand spears,
knights and squires. This battle did great
profit to the companions, for before thw
were but poor, and then they were all rich
by reason of good prisoners, towns and
castles, that they won in the bishopric of
Lyon and on the river of Rhone. And
when they had the Pont- Saint -Esprit, they
departed tlietr war and made war to the
pope and lo the cardinals, who could not
be quit of them, nor had not been, till they
found another remedy. The pope sent
into Lombardy for the marquis of Mont-
ferral, a right valiant knight, who had war
with the lord of Milan. When he was
eomeloAv^on, the pope and Ihe cardinals
spake to him in such wise, that he entreated
with the captains, English, Gascons and
Almains, for threescore thousand franks,
thai the pope and cardinals should pay to
oftV
caplai.
-> theit
Joim Hacoude, a valiant
English knight, sir Robert Briquet, Crea-
wey, Naudan de Bogeran, the boutg Camus,
and divers other, and so then went into
Lombardy and gave up the Ponl-Sainl-
• J'
sj:s.'ss,4sr
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::2l-vic :::e r:w^ tinsr; fs i fiir f»-
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« . ■ '
:>xT:.^ :.": : i:-^ le::": zac^c T'^yr* lasrijkj
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.... . . . . - ' •
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•- • ■-■■ -.:.: •"icn ne brur 33tt
\
He
. t
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■ " .'x " " : i-":^"■* zT— : j: iiisr
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—TIT ^<:<4 «f P'
■ — .- dl ^nt
HOUSEHOLD OF GASTON DE FOIX
339
■ss authority by the French king to buy
towns and fortresses of the companions,
h as they hold in their luinds, wheieso-
:r they Ik, other in Auvergne, Rouergue,
nousin, Quercy, Perigord, Albigeois,
en, ani.1 of all such as hath or doth
ke any war in ihe king of Eng-
d's title. And many are departed and
/e rendered their fortresses ; I cannot
1 if I will render mine or not." With
It word said the bourg of Campagne :
lousin, it is true, for of Carlat, which I
Id in Anvergne, I am come hither to
Eir some tidings, for sir Louis of Sancerre,
irshal of France, will be here shortly :
is as now at Tarbes, as I have heard of
:h as come thence.' With these words
^ called for wine and drank. Then the
scot said to me : ' Sir John, are ye well
brmed ofmy life? Yet I have had other
'entures, which I have not shewed, nor
1 not speakofall.' 'Sir,' quoth I, 'I
■e well heard you.' '
CHAPTER XXX
V a squire called Limousin turned French,
nd how he caused Louis Robaut his
CHAPTER XXXI
he .state or ordinance of the earl of Foix :
rid how the town of Santarera rebelled
>r the great travail, damage and outrage
the estate and order of the earl of Foix
itit be loo much spoken nor praised ; for
season that I was at Orthez I found
such and much more than I can speak
but while I was there, I saw and heard
ly things that turned me to great plea-
I saw on a Christmas day sitting at
fcjoard four bishops of his country, two
•dentines and two Urbanlsts, the bishop
*amiers and Ihe bishop of Lescar, Cle-
tines, Ihey sat highest, then the bishop
Vire and the bishop of Roy, on the
tiers of Bourdelois and Bayonne, Ur-
ists : then sat the earl of Foix, and
I the viscount of Roquebertin of Gas-
ie and the viscount of Braniquel, the
By It
' The
viscount of Gouaserant and n knight of
England of the duke of Lancaster's, who
as then lay at Lisbon ; the duke had sent
him thither, the knight was called sir Wil-
liam Willougbby. And at another table
sat five abbots and two knights of Aragon
called fir Raymond de Montflorentin and
sir Martin de Roanes. And at another
table sat knights and squires of Gascoyne
and of Bigorre, first the lord d'Anchin, then
sir CaiUart de la Motte, «( Raymond of
Castelnau, the lord of Caumont, Gascon,
the lord of Caupene, the lord de la Lane,
the lord of Montferrand, sir William de
Benac, sir Peter of Curton, the lord of
Valencin, and sir Auger named the Bascle ;'
and at other tables knights of Bearn a
great number ; and the chief stewards of the
hall were sir Espang of Lyon, sLr Chiquart
de Bois-Verdun, sir Monaut de Navailles
and sir Peter of Bauli of Beam, and the
earl's two bastard brethren served at the
table, sir Ernaulton Guillaume and sir
Peter of Bearn, and the earl's two sons sir
Yvain of I'Echelle was sewer and sir Gracien
bare his cup. And there were many min-
strels as well of his own as of strangers, and
each of them did their devoir in their
friculties. The same day the earl of Foix
gave to heralds and minstrels the sum of
five hundred franks, and gave to the duke
of Toitraine's minstrels gowns of cloth of
gold furred with ermines, valued at two
hundred ftanks. This dinner endured four
hours. Thus I am glad to speak of the
earl of Foix, for I was there in his house a
twelve weeks, and well entreated in all
things ; and while I was there, I might
learn and hear tidings of all countries, and
also the gentle knight sir Espang of Lyon,
in whose company I entered into the country,
he caused me to be acquainted with knights
and squires such as could declare to me
anything that I could dcmanil ; for I was in-
formed of the business of Portugal and of
Castile and what manner of war they had
ide, and of the battles and rencounters
Ineen those two kings and their assisters,
of which businesses I shall make just report.
SUMMARY.— The author relalts qgoiii
iujl) anticasadors vital from Portugal lo
England, and hani sieit mas laid to Lisian
t Or by ji bttler ttxt, ' nir Aufer ha briber, and
M
u*^
r*:y .\-:\\\v:c:rs cr Fn^o/ss.-i^r
.>sc*rv-? their wiges that they had k
• t » w -1- V V \ \ 1 ^ -.->»-rf,i ani said ; • Sir, ve be i :
-.-..-.- .-*: .i:>:», and little c-ostetn ]
!U.x» »*-.« V-.c .' ^'^^ .' ■.'". iV V.-C-' .■: ■-:- ini zravai: of yoiir pe-:?!
\ vXv, i;..-; v,»« ;v^ ,>S;r;.-. v • .•\,',:^v: -.xv-'/.v siih i::ey be in their ow^ :
.'. ,...v-» -,. ^.' »-.M.,i :?x siv so in:;rh if :hev
n »ithoci rr
•.-. . -.r- ?^r2. r-c^jie.. i:*- i::ey :e
• • - ,^ ■
%
. .; ....-- -,— ■■ V V -^ * ' -■ . .TiT ■■; llV.;? ".C-iSZ hi**! riiT:
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*.: "■."» «* -■ V -■ " " -' " ■«'■ « ■ '* ■'.■'v. - ■ ■ -. - ^-~ ~-' - T— ■- ~— 7— ,'
V: - .-■■:■ - N N-- . .■ '. -. 1-. "'- - -■ - .- _.: — Ticr= Tz. -.r
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. ' ■"«.».
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• '.. . . " « . ._~.. >. . _ . ■ - --- -■ —
■k -■■ -
fvjfi: m roRTVGAL, 1385
341
wd in likeu
jnld 6
father
J ihey had great envy at Ibe Ftenchmen,
A'hich well appeHj-ed ; for when the French
.arlets went out a-foraging, if the Spanish
Drcngers were strpnger, then they would
ake uieir forage from Ihem and beat them
ind maim them, bo that complajnls came
hereof to the king, and he hlamed Iheie-
1)1 his marshal sir Raynold Limousin and
;ai(l ; ' Why have ye not provided for this
natter?' The marshal excused him and
^i<i, as God might help him, he knew
nolhing thereof, and Ibat he would provide
1 remedy from Ihenceforlh. Incontinent
he !,tBbb5hed men of aims to keep the
(ields, that the French forengers rode at
Iheir surety, and also he made a cry and a
commandment that every man ihat had any
^ victual 01 provision to sell, that they should
bring it to the field before Santarem, and
. that they should have a price reasonable
for everything. So then the stranger!
largely their part, for the king ordained
Ihal they should be served before all other,
whereof the Spaniards had great despite.
So it was, the same week that the king
of Castile departed from the siege of Lisbon
three great ships of men of war and English
archers arrived at Lisbon. They were tc
the number of five hundred, one and other,
arid ihe third port of them were of the com-
panions adventurers, having no wages of no
man ; some were of Calais, of Cherboura;,
if Brest in Brelayne, of Mortagne m
Poilou ; they had heard of the war between
Castile and Portugal, and they came to
^Bordeaux and there assembled and said :
'"LxX us go at adventure into Portugal ; we
ihall find them there that will receive us
.and set us a-work.' Sir John Harpeden,
who as then was seneschal of Bordeaux,
^counselled them greatly thereto, for he
would not they should abiile in Bordelois,
for they might there have done more hurl
ihan good, because they were companions
ulvonturers and had nothing to lose. Of
:luiii Ihat arrived at Lisbon I cannot name
ill : there were three squires English that
were their captains, one was called North-
bery, and another Marthebery and the
Ihird Iluguelin of Hardeshull, and there
'were none of them past the age of fifty
fear, and good men of arms and well osed
in the feals of war. Of the commg of these
Englishmen they of LLsbon were right glad,
and so was the king of Portugal, who would
see them ; and so they went to the palace
where the king was, who made them great
cheer and demanded of them if the duke of
Lancaster had sent Ihem thither. 'Sir,'
quolh Korthbery, ' it is a long season silh
he had any knowledge of us or we of him.
Sir, we be men of divers sorts seeking for
adventures : here be some are come to
serve you from the town of Calttis.' ' By
my failh,' quolh the king, 'you and they
l)otb are right heartily welcome ; your
it larg(
irs.
thereof, but no
field, as well x
hath been.' 'Sir,'quolh they, ' we desire
nothing else, and sir, we desire you that
shortly we may see your enemies.' The
king made them a dinner in his palace at
Lisbon, and commanded that they shonld
all be lodged in the city at their ease and
to be paid for their wages for three months.
Then the king set his clerks a-work and
made letters and sent them all over his
realm, commanding every man able to bear
harness to draw to Lisbon.
All such as these letters came unto
obeyed not, for many abode still in Iheir
houses ; for three parts of the realm dis-
simuled with the king and with them of
Lisbon, because they h^ crowned king a
bastard, and spake great words thereagainst
privily. And because of the great trouble
and difference that the king of Caslile and
his council saw in Ihe realm of Portugal,
made him to advance himself to the intent
to have conquered the countty, saying how
all should be won with one day's journey
of battle, and that if they of Lisbon might
be overthrown, the residue of Ihe country
would nol he sorry of it, but put out of Ihe
n that Master d'Avis' or else slay him,
then it shonld be a land of conquest
for him, for his wife was right inheritor.
Yel with a good will king John of Castile
would have left the war, but his peo[Je
1 Some MSS. Df Froilaun havelmaiHrc Degii'
ere The kiDff hod beeo grand fDuto of Ihe
34 J rUF. C//A\\V/Cl£S OF F/;!0/ss.^^r
wouU noi NU[lcr liinu tvr ihoy over ^i\o c;:her we will win all at this time or lose
luin cv»uj.ij:c. >.'.yii»j: how his ^;-.;.irrfl ar.vl a!'..' • Sir/ quoth the knight, *it shall be
caum* \%.iN jun:. Aiul whou ihc k::'.j: of o.one : for if the joumej- be yours and Goi
lViiu^.il N.ix\ ihai hiso\Mni\:.i:u'.iiK-:'.: ^fcosr..": scpaI you good fortune, ye shall be Idi^fll
obNoi\A"\l. aiul ih,i: luuoU o: h'^ i^"^""^^* *•"*" r^r:ii^jJ for ever and ye shall be praised i
obo\ANl lo soivo h:«i,how.is I'.j^h: jv.isivo :i:v. jl'.I >:ranj:e realms, whereas the knowkdp
«u'l,iiu*hv»UvHiv Uo o.iiU\l lo hitn such a> :htfrev.^f shall come. And to the pofai
he uuxIinI Ivn» v«f l.ix-yv.i.ir.J, o: :he K"v>h:> hi'r::;u:e of Portugal ye cannot attain 1)i
\»t hiN hoiiN^\ x\';u» viivi :*icii iv.::*. :.^ cio-Ar. y :M::Ie : ye may take ensample ofkif
hiiuauJ. .iNo ihcv ?'..ul >oix».\- n-./.^; bvt:;*^:'.:. o.':: Henry your cousin, lather to king Toll
un >ir K»h:\ K.iJ.i^o .ivJ. >:r K'-.v. T^sicr :ha: now is king of Castile, of Spain, i'
il\''i, I ho loivi or Kiiiioro ' .iv.i >:: v.'iof.u'>' Tole-.lo. of Galice, of Cordowan and rf
ot l^l'v^^Ml. .\:ul«u»>o V.*ou.'.iu-"*. .\::.: l\-:jr Sev-'.Ie : he came to all these heritages If
hix •.•iv»;i'oi. Ml v'^uj^es or N,iv,i:>:. a 'v:iL;>.: Va:;*e. other >»ise he had never had tlwa
ot I aNii'.e \xho \\.i^ iiir:u\l V.ii.-.j::'. '..-.>, v: Kor ye kr.ow how the puissance of tk
Witiii Iv'ii^i h,is" o:uxv\i h:::\ o.:: ^': " :s ri'jL""'. vrir.ce of Wales and of Acquitaine pntkaj
an.i i^io xit^t; o: ro:'.Us;a*. h.; : !v:.l•■:•..^L r.::- o..t. Tecer your cousin into possession of v
c:--V:" oa--:^"'.. A: :>.:< :>ese her::a»?» and lands closed '^
>,i'.v: : • S:is \o v:**.: Iv '".i':..-. I '*.r..'w \Xi\'. :?a: i::; Her.ry had at Montiel against
\o Iv in\ u:v"t*,N, :.': yv 'r:a\j tv.a.ie iv.e Vi:er. who there lost all again and da
k'.nj;. iVhoLl ".-^v >.o» J.Ai-rs v'/n< c: :'.i::ry yii: := rossession as he was befcRi
iM V I ealt V. o \ c V. 'i.' v h : *. c :v. v ' \ ^ <, >^' ;>..;: I -: » "r-ivrh ;•: urr.ey he adventured himself lai
Svair. ar.'.: afterward by a journey of bitde
:>a: i::i Her. r\- had at Montiel aeainst dai
>:s. .c else he had not been king theft
I", /."ve w-.ie, sir. \-e must adventure, if*
An I ha\v\ I w.'i-.M ;v •. ■;:'■■. s;'.;,: :h,"r;^;: : :''::•*. :: livi with honour.' • Sir,' qnio
■■.:: :hv.y Iv "o: n.* .•>-.vj^-.\* I sev.- h. v >.; xir^. 'y* say true: I will have no*
:hov rviVai". a*o. ^' :>*:".• ,■.'..• ;>s: v.*a::s:c ; ,vh;r s.vi:nieL but chis^ for this is profitaUi
\*horoOcv.' I !m\o"v\v. of o.v. •*><•* c:* ;>> ::c _?."
•v.xv.ot. "'o^* I —av ocJ.er '"^Sv'.:. a-, I :her;r- Th.:* .:eT:ar.e«.: tha: council : and thai
■.'U' I •'i:t^ >.v. *..■: -.vo ^.a^.• >-.v.:: .• ivio;:. ' *i> oriaire-.i : ha: within three davsevar
Ihv"* <i V-.",-: ."' ^^\i x-^v. a 'v-i^>: r :".a= sh.c'." iraw into the fields and iter
ror,;:^:-.;'.. >.v.o. : ' S.:. I xV^i-.x-: •..-;.•. '.t y-ii: :; t.vvi >.-c::e ^^.-iizd to abide their eneni&
h.*:'.oi:t I'^a:. as >*.•»*" as>et"a\. .ira** y.\::- rV:>e thr-ie Jays ther kept the gates*
^.■!f a:'.o. a", > v;.- ■.\,vvU" ••:,* :""v: 'cl-i a- : ,''.:sv.- .'£ Li.s':vc. that noch^r man tf
.•..•\o:r..-.u' \'*t: a •••.•. *c a!s.\ ,v..- ^*c si'.a " '* a:: c.cM issue out : fc»r they wwdJ
\ .'i: :.' .•.'.0 r.*. ■."o v;-a::v'. '■.•c >,- Vo .'v.-. ' ."C /.m: :>eir er.v:cdes should be prinfli
.i"'.: : X'v ^y t'a: :'•:•* a:
• • • ■ - .--» j--« ■- -■ ■ . * * ■
V •*3: : a!".-.*, if •/'e'-v ",v a". :• V.-r.-^^?! .>■,•:: ;-::::::':c. A-c when the
T-.rvr'.s av.l .•■y-a:- -J :.- sec-...' •. .-c. I >uy. -".'n ".■.ta: *er^ there wHiierstocd thatlh?
a:--. >-^ >ii'-.h .■.■.,■•:'* -•; :"" s :;■*■•.. :iat .: -s -.vc!.: jsi:e :c: ar.c inw towards Santiii*
■.•.•:ajL<e >■;: r.v. ,• "oc isj>cv. .x: :.' sl^'.^'-v .; "...vk .r. : he :r jnemies* they were j(^
% :;.: f.i,-e aci. '-^t > "^f <:■:••-"••:'< \^ ha*. ^ "her ;;v;ry -z'j^r. :ra'ie hira ready, and ^
:h-.- ^ra.'e as >e: : . Vc rvryctoi a vala:*:: jit-.'^c-s .■:,:s5se*'. ::;a'iy their hows and ano«
xw. a!" .-L'-ir := everyrjiiirg fkat di?
■ • -, ','•; ,•• \ . v." ■ ■ : c a Thur^iv i^v demand
I . ;; -iso-C. ar.-i i.'.a: ia.y rhev k*^
"'-.'. :■.' -■■ ••■■.:--.; .■: >: \ :c ■ ".*,'■ vi-^ i ' ."'ji rvir jo/e a tw.- leaches fc*
• ■ •: ■.■.■< ." ■•- '■ ■ .V ;; T" vi>is "-''-■'■ ,;:>:«. r. '*:i2 :reir ^aois t-.'warti Sonait*
V 1.- • • ■ ' :i_ :•;.:. I* ■ »; "* ;cl '. ai'-.i ;■ iry z:a.~ si-«i "*'.:h ^:cc. heart and wB
:M: -"',"•• 'v:\i'*L -r-iv-r r-sfC'ara. to Lisbco sS
•v.... i.-'.' ?»; s. "'•-■• *- "■ *t;':r! ■ ''jir iresiies*. savisg ho*''
■ V . ; ■.■••.-;..■'■; ■:: : : *.: . ' • x- . e ■: : >t ■ r ''ttrz: - "'at tiey' shocid f
'\ : •*■" r'«i :■:;•:-; r-:; ;:: ."e .t" :hetr enemies* ladtf
'ar :"'vfv s^'.u .= .-.-me :a them : Sn: i<T
ii'i ■ *cv \iii s.*'.*': and hearri cirers *
■«:: i ■ -■ ■■ '.s. :■ ■..; ,-•-•.
r.!'.i" 1 "'. «. ■*. .';. .'vir . v.— .-■3'
W^i? IN PORTUGAL, ]3Ss
» of rcqukeia and
r five four lia.th obtained,' and in a.
!r all the victories that the Eaglish-
(liave had in France, Ihey were ever
I ; for naturally the seekers for
ore stronger luid courageous in
Ing than the defenders be. Of this
ibn Ihey were near all ; and some of
lurgesses of Lisbon said : ' We were at
" " " ' Flanders when the Gauntois
came before the town and requited battle
■—against the earl of Flanders and all his
.puissance, and we know well that Philip
(I'Arteveld, Peter du Bois, John Clicquetiell'
.Francis Ackerman and Peter de Wintere,
_ who as then were captains of the Gauntois,
they brought out of Gaunt no more but
seven thousand men, and yet they required
battle of their enemies and overcame and
iliscomfited a forty thousand. This is true,
and this was without any treason but by
clean fortune of battle. This was done on
a -Saturday a league from Bruges, as we
heard reported the nest day, when they
had won the town of Bruges. So thus
I hey did put in adventure other to' win or
to lose ; and thus must we do, if we think
to have any good speed.' Thus these
Lisbonois that Thursday spake one to
lasnother ; and when the king was informed
*f their words and of their great comfort,
he had great joy.
And on the Friday in the morning they
i'nined their trumpets and made them
n'udy, and took the way on the right hand
R-illowing the river and the plain country
for their carriage that followed them, and
so rode that day four leagues. That day
tidings caniE to the king of Castile, where
he lay at Sanlarem, that the Portugalois and
ihe Lisbonois were coming towards him.
1 liese tidings anon were spread abroad in
\W host, whereof the Spaniards, French-
nun and Gascons had great joy and said :
' l{i::hoId yonder Lisbonois be vaJiant men,
jhli they come to seek for battle. Shortly
let us go into the Helds and let us close
i ' El di
'(in tbs full luit;i<s qualK
_ tbue who dSercd tmttle had gained
but JohDO traruUics 'that iMtrior
■^en gained Ihe day': [hat is, that t
Cioa VBi four juajnst Rve, the To
le hcd eained tac day.
them among us, tin we may, to the intent
that they return not again.' Then it was
ordained and pubbshed in the host that
every man Ihe Saturday in Ihe morning
afoot and a-horseback should issue out of
Santarem and draw towards theii enemies
to fight with them. Every man made him
ready and were joyful of that journey. And
on the Saturday in the morning they sowned
their trumpets and the king heard mass in
the castle and drank, and then leapt on his
hor^e and every man with him, and so
drew into the field in good array of battle,
sir Raynold Limousin, marshal of the host,
foremost. And he sent forth scurrers to
advise the dealing of their enemies and
lo see where they were and what number
they were of. And the Frenchmen sent
forth two squires, one a Burgoynian and
the other a Gascon, the Burgoynian was
called William of Mondigy and he was
there with sir John of Kye, and they of
Gascoyne and Beam sent forth Bertrand of
Barnes, and they were both the same day
made knights : and with them rode forth a
chatelaio of Castile, a g^od man of arms,
called Peter Ferrant of Medine, he was on
a marvellous light jennet. And while these
three rode forth lo advise their enemies,
the residue of the htst rode a soft pace,
and they were in number two thousand
spears, knights and squires, Gascons,
Dui^oynians, Frenchmen, Picards and
Bretons, as well appointed and armed as
any men might be, and a twenty thousand
Spaniards idl a-horseback : and they had
not ridden forth a bow-shot but they stood
still.
On the other side the king of Portugal
in like wise had sent forth three scurrers to
aviewJQstlythe demeaning of the Spaniards;
whereof two of them were English squires,
expert men of arms, one called Janequin
d'Artebery and the other Philip Barkeston,
and with them Ferrant de la Gresse of
Portugal. They were all well horsed and
rode forth till they came to a little hill, and
there they might see the behaving of the
Spaniards. Then they returned to the
kmg of Portugal and to his council and
there made relation of that they had done,
and said ; ' Sir, we have been so far for-
ward that we have seen your enemies. Sir,
surely thi^ be a great number, ihcy aro
welt a thirty thousand horse : therefore/
344
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
sir, lake jroui ndvicc' Then the kinj; de-
manded if Ihej tode all in one liallle or
nol. ' Sir,' quolh they, ' surely they be in
two battles.' Then the king turned him
toward his people and said aloud ; ' Sirs,
now advise you well ; for there needelh
now no cowaidness, for we shall fight
shortly ; for our enemies be coming and
hath great desire to find us, und so they
shall, for we cannot fly nor return. We
are issued out of Lisbon a great number of
people : ihinli, sirs, lo do well and let us
sell oor lives dear. Ve have made me
king : this day shall I see if the crown of
Portugal will abide with me peaceably or
not. And, sirs, of one thing be sure; I
shall not fly, but abide the adventure with
you.' Then they all answered with a good
will: 'So be it, and we shall all abide
Then the English captains were called
forth, as Norlhbeiy and Hardcshull and
other of them that were most expert in
arms. The king demanded of them what
CQunsel they would give him how to abide
the adventure of the battle. Tor he said he
l;ncw well they must needs fight, for his
enemies approached fast, 'and they be in
number four against one of us.' Then the
Englishmen said : ' Sir, sith we shall have
battle and that they l)c greater in number
than we be, wherefore it is a hard party.
"We cannot conquer without we take some
.advantage of some hedges or bushes : let
lis take such a ground as we may fortify,
and that they shall nol enter upon us so
lightly as they should do on the plain field.'
'Sirs,' quoth the king, 'ye speak wisely,
and it shall Ix: as yc have devised.'
On this counsel of the Englishmen the
king rested, and there took advice what
ground they might lake. And not far
off from them was the town of Juberolh,
a great village ; thither the Lisbonois had
t all tl
riagcs, for it was their intention that night
to lotlge there, whether they had liattle
or no, If they might scape with honour.
And without the town a quarter of a league
or thcrealioiit there was a great abbey of
mimks, whither they of Juberolh and of
other villajjcs were wont lo come lo hear
moss ; and the church stanilcth a Kltle
out of Ihc way in a moat environed about
with great trees, hedges and bushes : it
counsel lo the kin^, for though they mi
but few, yet the king would follow nr^
their advice. Then they said: 'Sir,
know hereby a place, the minster wilhX
Jul>eroth among the trees ; it staitdetbiii
strong place with b little amendiucol aJ
help.' And such as knew the ccmlil
said: 'Sir, it is true.' Then the li(
said : ' Lei us draw thither, and IM
order there ourselves as men of war oq
to do ; so that when our enemies cm
let them not find us unprovided.' '
Incontinent it was done, and so it
came whereas the church was. Then vlM
the Englishmen and sir Ouges of Ninit
and divers other valiant men of PorttffI
and of Lisbon had well advised the (^
round about, they said : ' Thii pliff '
strong enough with a little help, so lb
we may here abide ihe adventure.' lis
on the side next the fields they cut ^
the trees and laid them one overanolha
to the intent that horsemen should l*
come with full course on them. TheyU
one way open, nol very large, and od
archers and cross-bows as they had ibej*
them on every side of the way, and ll0
men ofartns all afoot in a plain withinft
way and the church on their one side: l^
there was the king's ^nners pight If
And when they had thus ordered ero^
thing, they were in great joy and said lU
if it pleased God, they were well and '
such a place to keep long and to nulu
good journey. Then the king said : 'f*
sirs, this day every man do his par* J
think nol to fly, for that cannot avail s
We are far off from tisbon and also in *
chase there is no recovering ; for three rf
se(Foeaca)iD the duke of Lanc«iter(dg
: IS »ui that the king of Portugal chose P*
,e had fouodcd i
aUa anervardi
h)- lh< '
astile, wh'iehitd
if Portugal. No
BATTLE OF ALJUBAIiROTA, Aug. 14, 1385
345
imagine in youcgelves how tlie Joumey shall
lie ours, as it shall be if God lie pleased,
Bud then shall we be much honoured and
spoken of in strange countnes, whereas the
tidings shall come ; for alwaya the victors
ke exalted and Ihey that be discom^led
dispraised. And, sirs, think how ye liave
xnade me king, wherefore ye ought to be
the more hardy and courageous ; and of
one thing be ye sure, that as long as this
axe cndurelh in my hands, I shall light,
and if it fcil or break, I shall get another,
and shew myself that I will nraintain and
defend the crown of Portugal for myself
and for the right Ihal I have by succession
€jf my brother, the which I take on my
soul that mine enemies travaileth me *
■wrongfully and that the quarrel is mine.'
Then all such as heard the king said :
* Sir, of your grace and mercy ye admonish
ws wisely, and, sir, we shall help to aid and
mainlain Ihal we have given you, which is
your own. Sir, we shall all abide with
you here in this same place, and shall not
depart without Gad depart us. Sir, make
a. cry to all your people, for every man
liath not heard you speak, commanding on
pain of death no man to fly ; and, sir, if
there be any that are faint-hearted to abide
Ihe battle, let them come forth, and give
them leave to depart from the other, for
one faint heart may discourage two doien
cf good men ; or else strike off their heads
in your presence to giveensample toother.'
The king answered: 'I will it be so.'
Then there were two knights ordained to
go and search every company and to de-
mand if any were abashed la abide the
battle. The messengers reported to the
king when they returned that Ihey could
find no man but that was ready to abide
the adventure of battle. 'It is so much
the better,' quoth the king. Then the
king caused all that would be made knighU
to come before him, and he would give
them the order of knighthood in the
name of God and of Saint George. And
as I understand there were made a three-
score new knights, whereof the king had
great joy and did set them in the front of
the battle and said to them; 'Sirs, ■'--
order of knighthood is as noble and high as
any heart can think, and there is no kn^hl
thai ought to be a coward nor shameful, but
ought to be fierce and hardy as a lion when
his helm is on his head and seeth his
enemies. And because I would ye should
this day shew prowess where it ought to be
shewed, Ibereiote I ordain yon in the first
front of the battle ; and, sirs, do so thai we
may have honour and yau also ; otherwise
your spurs are but evil set on. ' And every
knight answered as his turn fell, as he
passed by the king : ' Sir, with the pleasure
of God we shall so do to have your grace
and love.' Thus the Porlugalois ordered
themselves and fortified them beside the
church of Juberolb in Portugal. That day
there was no Englishman that would be
made knight, yel they were desired of the
king and other, but they eiicused themselves
for that day.
CHAPTER XXXIV
Now let us return to the king don John of
Castile and the knights and squires of
France and ofGascoynewho were there with
liim ; and such as they had Sent to advise
their enemies returned again and said :
' Sir king and ye lords and knights here
E resent, we have rided so forward that we
ave seen our enemies, and according aa,
we can judge Ihey be not past ten thousand
men in all, one and other, and Ihey be
about the minster of Juberotb, and there
they be rested and set in order of battle,
and there Ihey shall be found whosoever
will seek for them.' Then the king called
to him his council and specially the baroiu
and knights of France, and demanded of
them what was beat to do. They answered
and said : ' Sir, we think it were best let
them be fought withal incontinent. We
see nothing dse, for by that is reported,
they be afraid and in great doubt, because
they be so far off from any fortress. Li»boa
is far off a six leagues ; they cannot run
thither with their ease, but they shall be
taken by the way, without Ihey take
r
3^(6
THE CHRONICLES OF FKOISSART
be, aidei your bailies and go and fight with
them, while your people be of good will to
do well,' Then the king demnndetl of
them uf his own country their opinions, as
of sir Diego Gomel Manritjue, sir Diego
Pier Sarmiento, Pier Gonzalez of Mendoza,
and Pier Ferrant of Velasco, and of the
great master of CaJatrava, They anaweretl
the king and said ; ' Sir, we have well
heard the Itnights of France, how they
would have you hotly to set on
enemies. Sir, we will that ye know
Ihey also, that ere we can come to the
will be night, for ye see the sun drawelh
downward and as yet ye have not ordered
yout battles. Sir, therefore we think it
were good ye tarried fill the morning, and
let us draw so near Ihem and lay so good
spia! in divers places, that if they would
dislodge about midnight and depart, then
let us also dblodge, for they cannot Hy nor
scape us, the country is so plain and there
is no place to hide them by Lisbon, which
we cannot ^et with our ease.' Sir, this
counsel we give you. '
Then the king stood still a liltle and cast
down his look to the earth, ajid after he
turned his regard on the strangers. Then
the marshal sir Raynold Limousin said,
to please the Frenchmen, in the language
of Spain to the intent he might the better
be understanded of every man, and so
rned him to the Spaniards, such
can ye be more sage in battle or more
used in arms than these valiant knights be
that he here present? How can ye devise
anything beyond them, that should be of
anyvalure? For Ihcy have done nothir\g
else all their life days but travel from realm
lo realm to find and to do deeds of arms.
How can you or durst you devise anything
against their words, which are so noble
and so high for lo keep the honour of the
king and of his realm, wherein ye have
greater part than ihey ? For ye have there
your heritages and your bodies, and they
have nothing there but now all only their
bodies, which they will first and foremost
1 * And (here a aa fttronff place except Lisbon,
where wc cannot hava them u our pleuure'; or
fallowing die better teict, ' there is no place OD ihis
toAt Lnbon, etccpt the place in which they are,
put in adventure, and so they have dea
of the king to have the lirst batllemd
king hath granted them. Then t%
Iheir great and noble courage, whtn I
will first of all adventure ihemselTS
you. It should seem that ye hate ear
them and that ye would thai profil
honour should come lo tbem ; whicb
ought not to do, but to be all of oneu
and will. And also by you and fa*
counsel the king hath been fa«re u
fields long at great cost and charge fcr
and for all his, and lain at siege b^
Lisbon and could never have the adTH
of battle till now with him that wi
himself king of Portugal, wherein he
no right, for he is a bastard and nol
pensed withal. And nc ' '
with such fiiends as he hath, which U
great number ; and if now by oal
should again wilhdmw himsell and
fought withal, ye put ytMuselvex (be
adventnre that all the whole host A
rise on you and slny you, or else Ihat
king should repute you for 1
strike off your heads and confiac rII )
knds. Therefore I see no belter niy
you than to be sllll and let them aknw
hath seen more than you in such busincS
for ye never saw that they have done,
never shall.' And then the kio^ loc
up and by seeming was glad with tl
words, and ihe Spaniards were ab"
and feared they had done greater In
than they did ; for though the maisb
proved them and spake against thee
they had well spoken and truly coddi
the king: but what for valiantnest M
please the strangers, who desired b
"-e marshal spake as he did.
Then every man was still, and Ihe t
id : ' I will in the name of God i
Saint James that our (
withal, and all Such as w
ne forth before me, for I will ^«a D
the order of knighthood in the hanatuaT^
and Saint George. ' Then there cum I
many squires of France and a! Beant
there they were made knights of die Id
hand, as sir Roger of Spain, elitest w
lir Roger of the county of Foix, at BMl
of Bareges, sir Peter of Salebiere, sii P
of Valencin, sir William of Quer, at Au|
of Solenaire, sit Peter of Vaude, nr "Vm
of Mondigy, and of one and a.
r
BATTLE OF ALJUBARROTA
347
there Hrst their banners, and alao divers of
Castile and also sir John of Rye. TheJe
might have been seen among these new
knights great nobleness, and they main-
tained themselves so goodly that it Was
pleasure to behold them, for they were a
fair battle. Then the lord of Lignac came
before the king, and all other that vere
strangers ; whatsoever nation they were of,
so they were no Spaniards, they were all
named in the name of strai^is.' Then
I hey said to the king: 'Sir, we be come
from for paits to serve you. Sir, we require
you do us that grace to let us have the first
battle.' 'I am content,' quoth the king,
■ in the name of God and Saint James, and
Saint Geoige be in your aid.' Then the
Spaniards said one to another softly : ' Be-
hold, for God's sake behold, how our king
Eulteth all his trust in these Frenchmen :
e hath no perfect trust in none other ;
they shall have the first battle ; they praise
us not so much that Ihey will take us with
(hem, they will do their deed by tbeioselves
and then let us do ours by ourselves. Let
us let them alone with their enterprise ;
they have made their avaunt how they tie
strong enough to discomfit the Portugalois ;
let it be so, we ate content ; but it werff
good we demanded of the king whether he
will abide with us or else go with the
Frenchmen.' So thereupon they were
long in murmuring, whether they should
demand it or else be still ; for they doubted
greatly the words of sir Raynold Limousin.
Howbeit, all things considered, they
thoxig''' ■' none evil to demand him the
question. Then six of the most notablest
of them went to the king and inclined
themselves and said : ' Right noble king,
we see and understand well by apparent
signs that this day ye' shall have battle
with your enemies : God send grace it be
to your honour and victory, as we greatly
desire. Sir, we would know whether your
pleasure lieth to be among the Frenchmen
or else with us.' 'fait sirs," quoth the
king, ' though I have granted the first
battle to these knights and squires strangers,
who are come far off to serve me and are
' valiant and expert men in wars, yet for all
that I renounce you not, for I will be and
abide among you : tlieiefore, sirs, help to
defend me.' Of this answer the Spaniards
had great joy and were well contented, and
said : ' Sir, so shall we do, and not to fail
to die in the quarrel ; for, sir, we are sworn
to you and so have promised by the faith
of our bodies when ye were crowned : for,
sir, we loved so well the king your father
that we cannot iail you in any wise. ' ' That
is our trust,' quoth the king. So thus the
king of Spain abode among his own men,
who were well a twenty ihousand horsemen
all covered in steel. Sic Raynold Limousin
was in the first battle, for it was his right
so^o he, because he was marshal.
Saturday was a fair day, and
the :
1 Thel
^"i'^'-'w'"^
WM uFl^c^
called Frei
the first battle came before JuberotS,
where the king of Portugal and his men
were ready to receive Ihem. Of these
French knights there were a two ihousand
spears, as fresh and as well ordered men as
could be devised; and as soon as they saw
Iheir enemies, they joined t;^ether Uke men
of war and approached in good order till
they came within a bow-shot. And at their
iirst coming there was a hard rencounter ;
for such as desired to assail, to win grace
and praise entered into the strait way,
where the Englishmen by their policy had
fortified them : and because the entry was
so narrow, there was great press and great
mischief to the assailants, for such English
archers as were there shot so wholly tt^elher
that thelt arrows pierced men and horse,
and when the horses were fiill of arrows,
they fell one upon another. Then the
Knglishmen of arms, the rortugalois and
Lisbonois came on them crying their cries,
' Our Lady of Portugal I ' with good spears
and sharp heads, wherewith they Etrake
and hurt many knights and squires. There
was the lord of Lignac of Beam beaten
down and his banner won and he taken
prisoner, and many of his men taken and
slain ; also sir John of Rye, sir GeoBr^
Richon, sic Geoifrey of Partenay and all
theic companies that were entered within
the strait : theic horses were so hurt with
the archers that they fell on their masters
and one upon another. There these
Frenchmen were in great danger, for they
■'ler, for ' " '
t help o
; another, for they had
34S
THE CHkOMlCLES OF FROISSART
no room to enlarge themselves nor to fight
at their will. And when the Portugalois
saw that mischief fall on the first assailers,
they were glad and as fresh and courageous
to fight as any men might be. There was
the king of Portugal with his banners before
him, mounted on a good horse trapped with
the arms of Portugal, and he had great joy
to see the mischief fall on his enemies ; and
to comfort his people he laughed and said
a-high : * On forth, good men, defend you
and fight with good will ; for if there be
no more but these, we need not to fear,
and if I knew ever anything in battle, all
these be ours.'
Thus the king of Portugal recomforted
his people, who fought valiantly and had
enclosed in the strait all the first assailers,
of whom there were many slain. True it
was that this first battle, which these
knights of France and of Beam led, had
thought to have been quicklier aided of the
Spaniards than they were : for if the king
of Castile and his company, who were a
twenty thousand men, had come by another
part and assailed the Portugalois, it had
been likely the journey to have been theirs ;
but they did nothing, wherefore they were
to blame and received damage. Also
indeed the Frenchmen set on too soon ;
but they did it to the intent to have won
honour and to maintain the words they had
spoken before the king : and also, as I was
informed, the Spaniards would not set on
so soon, for they loved not the Frenchmen ;
for they had said before : * Let them alone,
they shall find right well to whom to speak.
These Frenchmen are great vaunters and
high-minded, and also our king hath no
perfect trust but in them ; and sitn the king
would they should have the honour of the
journey, let us suffer them to take it, or else
we shall have all at our intents. * ^ Thus
by these means the Spaniards stood still in
a great battle and would not go forward ;
which was right displeasant to the king,
but he could not amend it. But the
Spaniards said, because there was none
returned from the battle : * Sir, surely
these knights of France have discomfited
1 * Ou nous I'aurons du tout ^ nostre intention,
which seems to mean, ' or else we will have it alto-
gether according to our opinions.' If they are not
to have things ordered in their way, they will not
take any part at all.
your enemies, the honour of this journey is
theirs.' * God give grace,* quoth the king,
* that it be so : let us ride tnen somewhat
forward. ' Then they rode a cross-bow shot
forward and then again rested : it was a
great beauty to see them, they were so
well mounted and armed. And in the
mean season the Frenchmen fought, and
such as had leisure to alight fought valiantly.
Divers knights and squires of either paity
did many feats of arms one upon another,
and when their spears failed, they took
axes and gave many pjeat strokes on the
helms, slaying and maiming each other.
Whosoever were in such case of arms as
the Frenchmen and Portugalois were at
Juberoth, must abide the adventure, as they
did, without they would fly away ; and io
fiying there is more peril than to abide the
battle, for in flying lightly are most sdain,
and in battle, when one seeth he is over'
matched, he yieldeth himself prisoner. It
cannot be said but that the knights of
France, of Bretayne, of Burgoyne and d
Beam, but that right valiantly fought ; bat
at their first encounter they were hardly
handled, and all that was by the counsel of
the Englishmen to fortify tneir place. So
at this first battle the Portugalois were
stronger than their enemies, so they were
all taken or slain but few that were saved;
so that there were at that first bmnt a
thousand knights and squires taken prison-
ers, whereof the Portugalois were joyful
and thought as that day to have no more
battle, and so made good cheer to their
prisoners, and every man said to their
prisoners : * Sirs, be not abashed, for ye
are won by clean feat of arms : we sbaD
keep you good company, as we would ye
should do if ye had us in like case ; ye
shall come to Lisbon and refresh you there
and shall be at your ease.* And they
thanked them, when they saw none other
boot. And so there some were put to their
finance incontinent, and some would abide
their adventure ; for they imagined that
the king of Spain with his great army*
would shortly come and deliver them.
BATTLE OF ALJUBARROTA
349
CHAPTER XXXV
le French knights and Gascons, such
fre takcD prisoners at /nberoth by the
[ Ponugalois. were slain of their masters
o the field to the king of
yawsrd are other taken or slam ! mere
o remedy of their deliverance without il
■ by your puissance.' And when the
Ig of Castile heard those tidings, he was
■e displeased, for he had good caase, for
■touched him nea.r. Then he commanded
on and said : ' Advance foith,
, in the name of God and Saint
: let us ride lo the rescue, sith
f men have need thereof.' Then the
Etniards began to ride a better pace
e together in good order, and by that
near down. Then some
0 abide till the morning,
near night, they said they
tuld make but an easy journey.' The
g would they should set on incontinent,
I laid his reasons and said i 'What,
e leave our enemies in rest now they
e weaiy, to give tliem leisure to refresh
ft tEiemsetves ? Whosoever do give that
■tounael, loveth not mine honour.' Then
T'they rode forth, making great noise and
I brait with aowning of trumpets and tabors
, lo abash therewith their enemies. Now
, shall I shew you what the king of Portugal
did and his company.
As soon as they had discomfited the
vaward and hod taken their prisoners, and
Ihit they saw none other battle coming
within their sight, yet for all that they
would put no trust in their first victory ;
therefore they sent sin notable persons to
go and aview the country, to see if they
should have any more to do. They that
rode forth came and saw the king of
Castile's great battle coming to ihemword
fast approaching to Juheroth, more than
twenty thousand horsemen. Then they
returned as fast as tb^ might and said all
[1 h^h lo the people : ' Sirs, advise you
well, for as yet we have done nothing :
behold yonder comcth the king of Castile
with his great battle with more than twenty
thousand men, there is none tarried behind. '
When they heard those tidings, they look
short counsel, which was of necessity :
then incontinent they ordained a piteous
deed, for every man was commanded on
pain of death to slay their prisoners without
mercy, noble, gentle, rich nor other, none
except. Then the lords, knights and
squires that were prisoners were m a hard
case, for there was no prayer that availed
them from the death ; and so they were
slain, some in one place and some in
another, as they were spread abrgad un-
Hjmed weening lo have been saved, but
they were not. To say truth it was great
pity, for every man slew his prisoner, and
he that did not, other men dew them io
their hands ; and the Portugalois and the
Englishmen who had given that counsel
said it was belter to slay than to be slain :
Tor if we kill them not, while wc be a.
fighting they will escape and slay us, Ibr
there is no trust in a man's enemy.' Thus
was slain by great mischief the lord of
Lignac, sir Peter of Quer, the lord of
I'Espres, the lord of Bernecque, the lord of
Botdea, sir Bertrand of Bareges, the lord of
Moriaane, sir Raymond d'Ariac, sir John
of Assolegie, sir Monaut of Saramen,
sir Peter of Salebiete, sir Stephen Valencin,
sir Stephen Corasse, sir Peter Have&ne,
and lo the number of three hundred squires
of Bearn ; and of France sir John of Rye,
sir Geof&ey Richon, sir Geofeey Partenay
and divers other. Lo, behold the great
evil adventure that fell that Saturday, for
Ihey slew as many good prisoners as would
well have been worth, one with another,
four hundred thousand franks.
CHAPTER XXXVI
How the king of Castile and all his great battle
were discomfited by the king of Portugal
before a village called Juberoth.
When the Lisbonols, English and Portu-
galois had delivered the place and slain nil
" -' prisoners (never a one scaped without
ere before conveyed to the village of
Juheroth, whereas all their carriages Were),
350
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
then they drew all together with a fierce
will on the same place whereas they were
first assailed, ana as then the sun was
going down. Then the king of Castile in
a puissant array, with his banners and
pennons displayed and mounted on their
norses well covered, came on crying,
* Castile ! * and began to enter into the
place that was fortified ; and there they
were received with spears and axes, and at
the first coming the shot of arrows grieved
sore their horses, so that many thereby
were slain and overthrown. And all that
season the king of Castile nor his men
knew not of the mischief that was fallen
to the vaward, not how they were all
slain, but he believed they had been still
prisoners, thinking to recover them again,
as ye have heard. There was a hard
battle and a fierce, and many a man cast to
the earth : the Portugalois had no such
advantage but, an they had not fought
valiantly, they had been lost and discom-
fited : that saved them was, their enemies
could not come on them but by one narrow
way. There the king of Portugal lighted
afoot and took an axe in his hand and did
marvellous in arms, and beat down a three
or four with his own hands ; so that he was
feared, that none durst approach near him.
I shall shew some part of the conditions
of the Spaniards. True it is at their first
setting on they are fierce and courageous
and of great courage and high-minded, if
they have advantage. They fight well
a-horseback ; but as soon as they have
cast two or three darts and given a stroke
with their sword, and see that their enemies
be not discomfited therewith, then they
fear and turn their horses and fly away to
save themselves that best may. And at
this battle of Juberoth they used the same
play ; for they found their enemies hard
and strong and as fresh in the battle as
though they had done nothing of all the
day before, whereof they had marvel and
also that they heard no tidings of the
vaward nor where they were become.
There the Spaniards that evening were in
the hard fortune of battle and perilous for
them ; for as many as entered into their
strength ^ were by valiantness and feats of
arms all slain, they took no man to ransom,
1 ' All fort des Lisbonnois ' ; that is, into their
stronghold,
whatsoever he were, noble or other ; so the
Lisbonois had ordained, for they wooU
not be charged with prisoners. There
were slain of them ot Castile such as
foUoweth : sir Di^o Gomez Mamique, sir
Diego Pier Sarmiento, sir don Peter Ray
Sarmiento, sir Manrique of Averse, the
great master of Calatrava and his brother,
who was that day made knight, called sir
Diego Moniz, sir Peter Gonzalez of Men-
doza, don Peter Gonzalez of Seville, den
John Radigo of Roselle and a threescore
Imrons and knights of Spain. At the
battle of Nazres, where the prince of Wales
discomfited king don Henry of Castile,
there were not slain so many noblemen i
Castile as there was at this battle of Jube-
roth, which was the year of grace a thousand
three hundred fourscore and five, on a
Saturday on our Lady day in August
When the king of Castile understood and
saw how his men were thus discomfited
and how that his vaward was clean dis-
comfited without recovery, and that sir
Raynold Limousin was dead, who was his
marshal, and saw how all his noble chivalry
were lost, as well of his own realm as of
France and elsewhere, such as were come
thither to serve him with their good wills,
he was then sore displeased and wist not
what counsel to take, for he saw his men
began to fly on every side, and he heard
how some said to him : * Sir, depart hence,
it is time ; the matter is in a hard case ; ye
cannot alone discomfit your enemies nor
recover your damages ; your people flieth
all about, every man intendeth to save
himself. Sir, save yourself, an ye do wisely:
if fortune be this day against you, another
time it shall be better.' The king of Castile
believed counsel and then changed his
horse and mounted on a fresh course,
strong and light, whereon no man had
ridden before of all day. Then the king
strake the horse with his spurs and turned
his back toward his enemies and took the
way toward Santarem, whither all such as
would save themselves fled. The same
time the king of Castile had a knight of his
house who bare his bassenet, whereupon
there was a circle of gold and stones valued
to twenty thousand franks. It was ordained,
or they went out of Santarem, that this
knight should bear it till they came to the
business and then to deliver it to the king
to wear on hii head : but this knight did
not so, for when they came to the joining
of the baltle, the press was so great that
Ihis knight could not come lo the king, nor
also he was not called for, wherefore he
approached not to theking. And when he
saw how his company were discomfited, and
that the Porlugaiois obtained the yictoty,
and saw how every man fled on every aide,
he feared then the losing of snch a rich
jewel and set then the bassenet on his own
head and so fled, but he took not the way
to Santarem, but he took another way to
the town of Arpent.^ Thus some fled this
way and some that way like people
discomfited and abashed, but the most ,
fled to Santarem, and that evening thither
came the king sore abashed.
At this diacomfilure of the Spaniards a1
tuberoth, where the Portugalois and Lis-
ouois obtained the place, there was a
great slaughter of men, and it had been
greater if they had followed in the chase.
Bui the Englishmen, when they saw the
Spaniards turn their backs, they said to the
king of Portugal and to his men: 'Sirs,
demand for your horses and follow the
chase, and all they that be fled shall be
other taken or slain.' 'Nay, not so,'
quoth the king, 'it sufiiceth that we have
done ; our men be weary and sore travailed,
and it is near hand night, we shall not
know whither to go ; and though they fly,
)et they lie a great numlier, and perad-
venture they do it to draw us out of our
strength and so to have us at their ease.
Let us this day keep them that l)e dead
and to-morrow take other counsel.' 'By
my faith, sir,' nuoth Hardeshull, an Eng-
li!ihman, ' the dead bodies are easy to be
kept ; they shall never do us any hurt, nor
we shall have of them no profit. 'We have
slain many good prisoners, and we be
El rangers and are come far off" to serve
you ; therefore we would fain win some-
what of these calves that fly without wings ^
with their banners waving with the wind.'
' Fair brother," quoth the king, 'they that
all covelelh all loseth : it is better we be
sure, sith the honour of the victory is ours
read, ' that Une I
fair orotlit
all covelelh
sure, sith Ihi
I' 'VllJe-Arp.
* The uaiul
'viaubt' iiHtci
to read, 'ihn
and that God hath sent it us, rather than
to put ourselves in peril when it needeth
not. We thank God we have enow to
make you all rich.' Thus in this case the
business rested.
Thus as I have shewed you fell of the
business at Juberolh, whereas the king of
Portugal obtained the victory and there
were siain a five hundred knights and as
many squires, which was great pity and
damage, and about ^ or seven tbousand
of other men : God have mercy on their
souls. And all that night till on the Sunday
to the hour of prime the king of Portugal
and his men removed not from the place
that they were in, nor never unarmed Inem,
but ale a little and drank every man as
they stood, which was brought them from
the village of J uberoth. And on the Sunday
in the morning after the Sunrising the king
caused twelve knights to mount on their
horses and to ride forth to search the fields,
to see if there were any new assembly;
and when they had ridden here and there,
they returned and shewed how they found
nobody but dead men. ' WeU,' quoth the
king, 'of Iheni we need not to doubt.'
Then it was published to depart thence and
to go to the village of J uberoth, there to
abide all that day and night till Monday
in the morning. So thus they departed
and left the church of Jubetoth and went to
the village and there lodged, and tarried
out all that Sunday and the next night ;
and on the Monday in the morning they
counselled to draw toward Lisbon. Then
they sowned trumpets to dislodge, and so in
r)od order they departed and rode toward
isbon. And the Tuesday the king entered
into the town with much people, glory and
triumph, and was received with procession
and so brought to his palace. And in
riding through the streets the people and
children made least and reverence and cried
with high voice: 'Live the noble king of
Portugal, to whom God hath given that
gfaceto have victory of the puissant king of
Castile, and hath discomfited his enemies.'
By this journey that the king of Portugal
had of the king of Castile he fell into such
grace and love of his country and realm of
Portugal, so that alt such as before the
battle did dissimule with him then came all
to him to Lisbon to do to him their homage,
saying how he was well worthy to live, and
352 THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
how that God loved him, in that he had
discomtited a more puissant king than he; CH\PTER XXXVTT
was himself: wherefore he was worthy to
bear a crown. Thus the king gat the grace How a spirit called Orthon served the W
of his people, and specially of all the com- ! of Corasse a long time and brought ba
mons of the realm. I e\-er tidings from all parts of the »-orii
Now let us a little speak of the king of
Castile, who after he was thus discomfited, . It is great inar\'el to consider one tfaJD^
went to Santarem, weeping and lamenting the which was shewed me in the etd 2
for his people and cursing his hard fortune Foix's house at Orthez of him that infonii
that so many noblemen of his own countrj* me of the business at Juberoth. HesbevBl
and - France were slain in the field. The me one thing that I have oftentimes thoifk
same time that he entereil into Santarem on sith, and shall do as long as I livCi At
yet he knew not the damage that he had : this squire told me, that of truth the ned
but on the Sunday he knew it, for he had day after the battle ih-as thus fought i
sent his heralds to search out the dead Juberoth the earl of Foix knew it, wusA
bodies. And he thought before that the I had great marveL For the said Smxiqk
most part of all such as the heralds found Monday and Tuesday the earl was icff
dead had l)een but prisoners and saved pensive and so sad of cheer that no na
alive ; but they were not, as it ap))eared. could hear a word of him, and all thesnc
Then he was so sore displeased and sorr\' three days he would not issue out of b
that no man could comfort him. When he chamber nor speak to any man, tboi^
heard the report of the heralds and knew they were never so near about lum;iDl
the certainty of them that were dead, then on the Tuesday at night he called to hii
he said and sware that he should never his brother Arnold Guillaume and and R)
have joy, sith so many noble men were him with a soft voice : • Our men hath W
dead in his quarrel. And after the third day to do, whereof I am sorry, for it is coneof
that the king had tarried at Santarem there them bv their vo}*age as I said or thejik-
came to him his knight with his basscnet, (larted. Arnold Guillaume, who wis t
who was called sir Martin Haren, and de- sage knight and knew right well Is
livered the bassenet to the king, which was brother's conditions, stood still and pR
\-alued as ye have heard before. And he- none answer, and then the earl, »b
fore there had been hard words six>ken of thought to declare his mind more plainly;
him : some said that falsely he was run tor long he had borne the trouble thcRif
away from the king and would never return in his heart, spake again more higher tba
again. Then the knight kneeled down he did before and said : *■ By God, *
before the king and excused himself so Arnold, it is as I say, and shortly jt shl
largely, that the king and his council were hear tidings thereof; but the coontiytf
well content nith him. Then a fifteen Beam this hundred year never lost such t
day> after the king of Castile returned to loss at no journey as they have done bo»
Burgus in Spain and gave ever)* man leave in Portugal.* Divers knights and sqai8
to depart. Then after there was means that were there present and heard him«f
and treaties made Ix^tween the king of so, stood still and durst not speak, W
Castile and the king of Portugal : then a rememliered his words ; and within a f*
truce was taken from the feast of Saint days after they knew the truth thereof tf
Michael to the first day of May. both by land such as had K»en at the business, and th*
and by sea, and the dead Nxlies slain at they shewevl everjnhing as it was fortinit'
TuSer«->th were hurie^l in the church of at Julx?roth. Then the earl renewed agif*
Tui^eroth and in other churches thereaUxit. his dolour, and all the country were ii
an I the Iwnes of divers carried by their sorrow, for they had lost their paioft
servar.ts into their own countries. brethren, chiK^ren and friends.
* Saint Mar>\' quoth I to the squire tW
shewevl me this tale, * how is it that tk
' earl of Foix could know on one day *i^
was done within a day or two befeK^
STORY OF THE LORD OF CORASSE
353
being so fax off?' 'By my faith, sir,'
quoth he, 'as it appeared well, he knew
it.' 'Then he is a diviner,' quoth I, 'or
clso he halh messengers that flieth with
the wind, or he must needs have some
criifl.' The squire began to laugh and
Siiid ; ' Surely he must know it by some
act of necromancy or otherwise. To say
the truth, we cannot tell how it is but
by our imaginations.' ' Sir,' ijuoth I, 'such
imagination as ye have therein, if it please
^you In shew me, I would be glad thereoC
.And if it be such a thmg as ought to be
■secret, I shall not publish it, nor as long as
I am in this country I shall never speak
word thereof.' ' I pray you thereof,' quoth
the squire, 'for I would not it should be
Icnown that I should speak thereof; hut I
shall shew you as divers men spenkelh
Secretly, when they be together ns friends.'
Xiien he drew me apart into a corner of
the chapel at Orthez, and then began his
tsle and said :
' It is well a twenty years past that there
was in this country a baron called Raymond
lord of Corasse, which is a seven leagues
From this town of Orlhez. This lord of
Corasse had the same time a plea at Avig-
non before the pope for the dimes of his
:ihurch against a clerk curate there, the
Bvhich priest was of Cataloyne. He was a
^eat clerk and claimed to have tight of
Jie dimes in the town of Corasse, which
iVBS valued to a hundred florins by the
^etir ; and the right that he had he shewed
%xiA proved it, and by sentence delinilive
ziope Urban the fifth in consistory general
condemned the knighl and gave judgment
mth the priest ; and of this last judgment
^e bad letters of the pope for his posses-
Ejon, and so rode till be came into Beam,
fcnd there shewed his letters and hulls of
Jbe pope's for his possession of his dimes.
• The lord of Corasse had great itidigna-
-ion at this priest, and came to him and
iaid: "Master Peter," or "Master Martin,"
Ks bis name was, " thinkest thou that by
-eason of thy letters that I will lose mine
leiitage? Not so hardy that thou take
uiything that is mine : if thou do, it shall
;ost thee thy life. Go thy way into some
sther place to get thee a benefice, fof of
*iine heritage thou gettest no pari, and
3nce for always I defend thee." The clerk
doubted the taught, for he was a cruel man,
therefore he durst not persevere. Then he
thought to return to Avignon, as he did ;
but when he departed, he came to the
knight the lord of Corasse and said : " Sir,
by force and not by right ye take away
from me the right of my church, wherein
ye greatly hurt your conscience. I am not
so strong in this country as ye be ; but, sir,
know for truth that, as soon as I may, I
shall send to you such a champion, whom
ye shall doubt more than me." The
knight, who doubted nothing his threaten-
ings, said : " God be with thee : do what
thou mayst, I doubt no more death than
life : ' for all thy words I will not lose mine
herit^e." Thus the clerk departed fi'om
the lord of Corasse and went I cannot tell
whither, to Av^on or into Calaloyne, and
forgal not the promise that he had made to
the lord of Corasse or he departed : for
afterward, when the knight thought least
on him, about a three months after, as the
knight lay on a night abed in his castle of
Corasse with the lady his wife, there came
to him messengers invisible and made a
marvellous tempest and noise in the castle,
that it seemed as though the ca.'itle should
have fallen down, and strake great strokes
at his chamber door, that the good lady his
wife was sore afraid. The knight heard all
but he spake no word thereof, because he
would shew no abashed courage, for he
was hardy to abide all adventures. This
noise and tempest was in sundry places of
the castle and dured a long space, and at
last ceased for that night. Then the next
morning all the servants of the house came
to the lord when he was risen, and said :
" Sir, have you not heard this night that
we have done?" The lord dissimuled and
said: "No, I heard nothing: what have
you heard ? " Then they shewed him what
noise they had heard and how ail the vessel
in the kitchen was overturned. Then the
lord began to laugh and said : ' ' Yea, sirs,
ye dreamed : it was nothing but the wind."
"In the name of God," quoth the lady,
"1 heard it weli."
' The next night there was as great noise
and greater, and such strokes given at his
chamber door and windows as all should
have been broken in pieces. The knight
started up out of his bed and would not let
1 ' Jt te ctauhtfl plus mort que vif,' whit
354
THE CHRONICLES OF FKOISSART
to demand who wu at his chamber door
that lime of the night, and anon he was
answered by a voice that said: "I am
here." Quoth the fcnicht ; "Who sent
thee hither?" "The cTerk of Calaloyne
sent me hither," quoth the voice, " to whom
thou dost great wrong, for thou hast taken
from him the righta of his benefice. I will
not leave thee m rest till thou hast made
him B good account, so that he be pleased."
Quoth the knight, " What is thy name,
that art so good a messenger?" Quoth
he, "I am called Orthon." "Onhon,"
quoth the knight, " the service of a clerk
is little prolit for thee ; he will put thee to
much pahi if ihou believe him. I pray thee
leave him and come and serve me, and I shall
give thee good thank." Oithon was ready
to answer, for he was in amours with the
knight, and said : " Wouldst tfaou fain have
my service?" "Yea truly," quoth the
knight, " so thou do no hurt to any person
in this house." "No more I will do,"
quoth Orthon, "for I have no power to do
any other evil but to awake thee out of thy
sleep or some other." " Well," quoth the
knight, "do as I tell thee and we shall
soon agree, and leave the evil clerk, for
there is no good thing in him hot to put
thee to pain ; therefore come and serve
me." "Well," quoth Onhon, "and nth
thou wilt have me, we are agreed."
' So this spirit Oclhon loved so the knight,
that oftentimes he wonld come and visit
him while he lay in his bed asleep, und
other pull him by the ear or else stnke at
his chamber door or window to awake
him ; and when the knight awoke, then
he would say: "Orthon, let me sleep."
"Nay," quoth Orthon, "that will I not
do, till I have shewed thee such tidings as
are fallen a-latc." The lady the knight's
wife would be sore affrayed, that her tiiir
would stand up, and hide herself under the
clothes. Then the knight would say ;
" Why, what tidings hast thou brought
me?" Quoth Orthon: "lam come out
of England, or out of Hungary or some
other place, and yesterday I came thence.
and such things are fallen, or such other."
So thus the lord of Corasse knew by
Orthon everything that was done in any
part of the world, and in this case he
continued a five year, and could not keep
hfa own counsel, but at last discovered
0 the eail of Foix : 1 sbaU tbew
said to him: "Sir, such thit^ in
in Ei^Iand or in Scotbuid or in Ah
or in any other country." And ew
earl of Foil found bis saying true, an
great marvel how he should know
things so shortly. And on a time lt>
of Foix examined him so straitly lla
lord of Corasse shewed him allogethei
he knew it, and how he came to ina
When the earl of Foix heard thit, h
joyfid and said : " Sir of CoraiK,
him well in your love : I would I had
a messenger ; he costeth yon nolb'
ye know by him everything that ii
the world." The kn^ht answend
said : " Sir, that is true." Thoj the
of Corasse was served with Orlhoa i
season. I cannot say if this Ortboa
any more masters or not, hut evaj-^
twice or thrice he would come and 1\A
lord of Corasse and would shew tun
tidings of anything that was tilkn
whence he came ; and ever the la
Corasse, when he knew anything, be'
thereof ever to the earl of Ffflx, irti
great joy iheteof. for he was the kl
the world that most denred to hor
out of strange places.
'And on a time the lord of
with the earl of Foix, and the earl dea
of him and said: "Sir of Coisnr^
ever as yet see your messcn^f"
surely, sir," quoth the knight, "
never desired it." "That is m
quoth the earl : " if 1 were u <ti
qnainted with him as ye be, I would
desired to have seen him. When*
pray you desire it of him, and then
nie what form and fashion he is o£
heard you say how he speaketh ••
Gascon as other you or I. "TVuljr,
quoth the knight, "so it is. '" '
OS well and as lair as any of
and surely, sir, slth ye cooiuel i
my pain to see him an I can."
a night as he lay in his bed with Ik«
his wife, who was so inured to hearOl
tha» she was no more afraid of Ida,
came Orthon and pulled the lotd *
ear, who was fast asleep ; and tha
awoke and asked who wai there.
STOKy OF THE J.ORD OF COA'ASSF.
355
Ssre," quoth Orthon. Then he demanded :
From whence comest thou now?" "I
^me," quoth OrthoQ, "from Prague in
'«:;3eme." "How &ris that hence? "quoth
»-■* kniyhl. " A threescore days' journey,"
^^olh Orthon. "And art thou come thence
»■ soon?"quoth[hekniEhl. "Yealruly,"
^^oth Orthon, " I cajne as fast h3 the wind
^ faster." "Hast thou then wings?"
-.^oth the knight. " Nay truly," quoth he.
How canst thou then fly so fast ? " quoth
^e knight, " Ve have nothing to do to
*now that," quoth Orthon, " No ?" quoth
^e knight, "I would gladly see thee, to
fciow what form thou ait of." "Well,"
»jolh Orthon, "ye have nothing to do to
■Wiow : it sulficelh you to hear me and I to
^aew you tidings." " In faith," quoth tie
"flight, " 1 would love thee much better an
might see thee once." "Well," (juoth
irthon, ' ' sir, sith ye have so great desire to
g;e me, the first thing that ye see to-morrow
*-hen ye rise out of your bM, the same shall
■c I. " "That is sufficient," quoth the lord ;
" go thy way, I give thee leave to depart
Tit this nighl."
And the next morning the lord rose ;
nd. the lady his wife was so afirayed thai
lie durst rot rise, but feigned herself sick
-nd said she would not rise. Her husband
vouliJ have had her to have risen. "Sir,"
uoth she. "then I shall see Orthon, and I
tfoiild not see him by my good will."
* Well," quoth the knight, " I would
;ladly see him" ; and so he arose fair and
ssily out of his bed and sat down on his
bed side, weeninp to have seen Orthon in
lis own proper lorm ; but he saw nothing
whereby he might say : " Lo, yonder is
Drthon." So that day passed and the
■ext nighl came, and when the knight
^las in his bed, Orthon came and began
Q speak, as he was accustomed. " Go
liy way," quoth the knight, " thou art
^ut sliar: lliou promisedst that I should
lave seen thee and it was not so."
•No?" quoth he, "and I shewed myself
« thee." "That is not so," quoth the
^tiA. "Why," quolh Orthon, "when ye
■ose out of your bed, saw you nothing?"
X*hen the lord studied a little and advised
^itnself well. "Yes, truly," quoth the
-enight, " now I remember me, as I sat on
my bed's side thinking on thee, I saw two
straws on Ihe pavement tumbling one upon .
another." "That same was I," quoth
Oilhon ; " inlo that form I did put myself
as then." "That is not enough to me,"
quoth the lord: "I pray thee put thyself
inlo some other form, that I may belter
see and know thee." "Well,' quoth
Orthon, " ye will do so much that ye will
lose me and I go from you, for ye desire
too much of me," " Kay," quoth Ihc
knight, " thou shalt not go from me. Let
me see thee once and 1 will desire no
more." " Well," quoth Orthon, " ye
shall see me to-morrow. Take heed ; the
first thing that ye see sfler ye be out of
your chamber, it shall be I." "Well,"
quoth the knight, " I am then content : go
thy way, let me sleep." And so Orthon
departed, and the next morning the lord
arose and issued out of his chamber and
went to a window and looked down into
the court of the castle and cast about his
even, and the first thing he saw was a sow,
the greatest that ever he saw, and she
I favi
ired
Ihat there was nothing on her but the skin
and the bones, with long ears and a long
lean snout. The lord of Corasse had
marvel of that lean sow and vias weary of
the sight of her, and commanded his men
to fetdi his hounds, and said: "Let the
dogs hunt her to death and devour her."
His servants opened the kennels and let
out his hounds and did set them on this
sow ; and at the lost the sow made a great
cry and looked up to the lord of Corasse,
as he looked out at a window, and so
suddenly vanished away, no man wist how.
Then the lord of Corasse entered into his
chamber right pensive, and then he re-
memljered him of Orthon his messenger,
and said: "I repent me that I set my
hounds on him : it is an adventure an
ever I hear any more of him, foe he said to
me oftentimes that if I displeased him I
should lose him." The lord said truth,
fur oever after he came inlo the caslle of
Corasse, and also the knight died the same
year next following. Lo, sir,' qnolh the
squire, ' thus I have shewed you the life
of Orthon and how a season he served the
lord of Corasse with new tidings.'
'Il is true, sir,' quoth I, 'but now as lo
your lirsl purpose ; is the earl of Foix
served with such a messenger ? ' ' Surely, '
quoth Ihe squire, 'it is the imagination!^
356
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
many that he hath such messengers ; for
there is nothing done in any place, but an
he set his mind thereto, he will know it,
and when men think least thereof; and
so did he when the good knights and
squires of this country were slain in
Portugal at Tuberoth. Some saith the
knowledge of such things hath done him
much profit, for an there be but the value
of a spoon lost in his house, anon he will
know where it is.' So thus then I took
leave of the squire and went to other
company, but I bare well away his tale.
Now I will leave to speak of the business
of Portugal and of Spain, and speak of the
business in Languedoc and in France.
CHAPTERS XXXVIII, XXXIX
SUMMARY.— Siege was laid to the castle
of Brest, held by the English, Many castles
in the marches of Toulouse, Rouergue and
thereabout, held by the captains of com-
panies, were taken by the French,
CHAPTERS XL, XLI
SUMMA RY, — The king of A rmenia came
into France to get help against the Turks,
who had driven him out of his dominions.
He gave much information about the state of
affairs in the East.
CHAPTER XLII
How pope Urban and pope Clement were at
great discord together, and how the
Christian kings were in variance for their
elections, and of the wars between them.
The same season there came to Avignon to
see the pope Clement sir Otho of Bruns-
wick, to have money for the war he had
made for him against the Romans and
Bartholomew of Aigles, who wrote himself
pope Urban the sixth, as it is contained in
his history herebefore. And there sir
Otho shewed divers things to the pope and
to the cardinals, wherein he was well
believed and heard ; but as for money, he
could get none, for the pope's chamber
was so clean voided from gold and silver
that the rardinals could not bait
money that pertained to their hats: so
sir Otho of Bninswick departed firomt
not well content : at Av^non then
delivered him a thousand franks fd
set little thereby : whaehf pope Om
war was sore weakened, for sirOtbov
in no wise meddle any more in the p
wars.
Then Margaret of Dnras,^ i^ *
Gaieta and was adversary agaiut
queen of Naples, wife sometime to I
Louis duke of Anjoa, she sent for tli
Otho to aid her in the war that she i
against the Neapolitans ; and thissii(
a certain space excused himself and
simuled and foded forth the time, t
that wist not what to do. Then soi
his council did put him in mind to |
this Margaret of Duras, who was iobt
to Naples and to Sicily, and tohdpt
and defend her heritage, and to take b
his wife, for she was content to many
because he was of a noble blood and «
extraction, and was lord and king o
country called Daure.' And some
of his council counselled him cool
saying how he might thereby come I
evil end, for the children of king
of Naples, who was crowned king i
city of Bari, though they were but y
yet they had great friends and kin
and specially the French king their o
german, who will aid them and
mother Joan, duchess of Anjoa a
Maine. All these doubts some <
council shewed him, wherefore sir
forbare a long season and dissimol*
matter and took none of both parties
The same season the soldiers oi
Clement enclosed in the city of I
pope Urban, and was besi^ed by tl:
of Montcroix, a valiant knight
county of Geneva and of Savoy, sir
bart, a knight of the Rhodes, and sir I
de la Salle ; and there pope Urb
sore constrained and on the point t
been taken, for as I was then inf
for the sum of twenty thousand ft
captain Almain, who had a great c(
1 The parajn^aph should begin with the
before : ' By this pope Clement's war was w<
etc. Also Margaret of Duras,' etc.
2 A curious mistranslation. It should I
so he became lord and king of the country
she called herself lady ' (dame).
I
AFFAIRS OF THE CHURCH
35?
him, called the earl Conrad, w
■ delivered |)ope Urban into the hands
cape Clement ; whereupon sir Bernard
a. Salle was sent to Avignon to pope
"»ent fpr the said sum of money ; but
:>ope nor the cardinals there could
e! the money, for that pope's c(
f^D poor that they had no money ; and
i r Bernard de la Salle returned evil
^■nt to the si^e of Perugia, and so then
dissimuled the matter, and the Peru-
5 in like wise, and also this eail Conrad ;
so pope Urban issued out of Perugia
out of peril and went to Rome and
« there.
I^now right well that in time to come
i will be had much [marvel] of these
1^, how the Church should fall in such
i:kle and endure so long, hut it was a
ije sent from God for the clergy to
Se and to consider well their great
^ and superfluity that they were in ;
»nany did set little thereby, for they
: so blinded with pride that each one
^ht to be as good as another : where-
at went evil, and if our ^th had not
. confirmed in the hands and grace of
Holy Ghost, who illumined the heart
tiem that were gone out of the right
and held them ^tm in unity, else our
had been greatly deformed : but tlie
t lords of the earth at the beginning
nothing but laugh at the Church, till I
xiicled these chionicles in the year of
inrd Jesu Christ MCCCLXXX. and x.
:li of the common people marvelled
the great lords, as the French king.
l<ing of Almoine and other kings and
ces of Christendom, did provide no
sdy in that case.
here was one thing reasonable to
lase the common people and to eicuse
liigh princes and kings, dukes and earls
other lords ; as by ensample, the yolk
>e e^ cannot be without the white nor
white without the yolk, no more may
clergy and the lords be one without
:her ! for the lords are governed by the
jy, or they could not kve but as beasts
the clergy were not, and the clergy
iselleth and exhorteth the lords to do
ley do. And I say surely I have been
ny time in divers parts of the world,
t for to accomplish my pleasure and to
novelties in the world, and to have
knowledge of the conquests and adventures
written in this book ; and truly the season
that I went thus about in the world, 1
could lightly see no great lord but that he
had a marmoset, or of the clei^ or a boy
of simple lineage mounted up to honour by
reason of their jangling and railing,' except
the earl of Foix, for he had never none such,
for he was naturally sage, for his wisdom
was better than any that could be given
him. Yet I say not that such lords as are
ruled by such marmosets be fools, but
rather more than fools, for they be sore
blinded and yet they have two eyen.
When the knowledge came first to the
French king Charles of the difference
between these two popes, he did put the
matter on the deigy, which way he should
take them. They of the clergy of France
determined and took pope Clement for the
most surest part, and to the French opinion
accorded the king of Castile and the king
of Scots, because all the season that the
schism was thus in the Church, France,
Castile and Scotland were joined together
by alliance ; and the king of England and
the king of Portugal were of the contrary
opinion against their enemies. The earl
of Flanders never inclined in his courage
to pope Clement, that he should be right
pope, because Urban was first chosen at
Rome, who was archbishop of Bari.' This
Clement, being cardinal of Geneva, wrote
letters unto the noble earl of Flanders how
there was a pope chosen by due election at
Rome and named Urban ; wherefore he
would not believe after on that Clement,
and as long as he lived he was of that
opinion, so was the king of Almaine and all
the Empire and also the king of flungary.
Thus then 1 put in writing the state and
ditTerences that t had seen in my days in
the world and in the Church ; it was no
marvel though the lords of the world
sulTered and dissimuled the matter. This
brought lo my remembrance how ' that,
when I was but young and pope Innocent
' 'Parlcuisionsleselbourdes,' 'by IheirrailleT^
and^.«i-'
BcOiUH
I Rome of lb
t Jhe f
358
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
reigned in Avignon, he held in prison a*
friar minor called friar John Roche-Taillade.
lliis clerk, as it was said, and I have
heard it privily in divers places, he shewed
and alleged divers authorities of the in-
cidents and fortunes that fell after in his
days in the realm of France, and also he
spake of the taking of king John, and
shewed certain things reasonable how the
Church should suffer much for the great
superfluities that he saw in them, and
while he was in prison, it was shewed me
what he said to the cardinal of Ostia,
called d'Arras, and to the cardinal of
Auxerre, who went to visit him and to
argue with him : then he laid to them an
ensample, as hereafter ye shall hear.
* Lords,' said this friar, * there was once
a fowl appeared in this world without any
feathers ; and when all other fowls knew
that he was born, they came to see him,
l>ecause he was so fair and pleasant to be-
hold. Then they imagined among them
what they might do for this bird, for with-
out feathers they knew well he could not
live : an'l they said they would he should
live, because he was so fair. Then every
fowl there gave him of their feathers, and
the fairer bird the more feathers he gave
him, so that then he was a fair bird and a
well feathered and l>egan to fly. And the
birds that had given him of their feathers,
when they saw him fly, they took great
pleasure : and when this bird saw himself
so well feathered and that all other fowls
honoured him, he began to wax proud and
took no regard of them that had made him,
but picked and spurred at them and was
contrary to them. Then the other birds
drew together and demanded each other
what was best to be done with this bird,
that they had made up of nought and now
so disdaineth them. Then the peacock
said : " He is greatly beautied by reason of
my feathers : I will take them again from
him." ** In the name of God," said the
falcon, **so will I have mine": and so
said all the other birds, and then they be-
gan to take again from him all the feathers
they had given him. And when this bird
saw that, he humbled himself and know-
lodged of the wealth and honour that he
had not of himself but of them : for he
knew that he came into the world naked
and bare, and the feathers that he had, they
might well take from him again wba
list : then he cried them merqr and
that he would amend himself and doi
be proud. And so then again these ge
birds had pity on him and feathered.
again, and said to him : "We would ^
see thee fly amon£ us, so thoa wt
humble as thou oug^test to be : bat b
surely, if thou be any more proad aaJ<
dainous, we will take from thee all
feathers and set thee as we found li
first."'
Thus said the friar John to the canfc
that were in his presence : * Sirs, tbsi
it fall on you of the Church, for the aup
of Rome and of Almaine, and the cA
kings christened and high princes of i
world have riven you the goods andp*
sions and nches, to the intent tos*
God, and ye spend it in pride and s^
fluity. Ye read not the life of Si
Silvester, pope of Rome after Saint P*
Imagine and consider how the eBjJ
Constantine gave him first the dimes »«
Church, and on what condition. ^
Silvester rode nother with two hDW
nor three hundred horse abroad fflj
world, but he held himself simply dflw
Rome and lived soberly with them «'
Church, when the angel of God she*
him how the emperor Constantino*
was as then but an infidel, should sflwi
him. In like wise the emperor had <
revelation of an angel that Silvester sW
shew him the way of health, for I*'
sick of the leprosy, so that his flesh jj
pieces. And when Silvester camcW
nim, he shewed him the wayofjjr
and so christened him, and incontin*
was whole. For the which the ea?"
Constantine believed in God, andw
Empire, and gave to Silvester and to
Church all the dimes, for befort
emperor of Rome held them ; and K
that gave him many fair gifts andj
seignories, augmenting our faith W*
Church : but it was his intention th»
goods and seignories that he had i
him, that he should govern it humW]
truly, and not to spend it in pom|
pride. But nowadays they of the C
do the contrary, wherewith God i
pleased, and hereafter will be mor
pleased, so that the great lords of the
will wax cold in their devotions and
THE CHURCn
]
knowledge of the conquests u
wiitlen in thb book ; and tru
that I went thus aboul in I
could lightly see no great lord
had a mamiosel, ot or the cle
of simple lineage mounted up I
reason of Iheir jangling and rai
the earl of Foix, for he had nev
for he was naturally sage, foi
was better than any that coi
him. Yet I soy not that such
ruled by such marmosets b
rather more than fools, for I
blinded and yet they have two
When the knowledge came
French king ChoJies of th
between these two popes, he
matter on the clei^y, which w
take them. They of tile clei)
determined and look pope (Jlc
most surest part, and to the Ft
accorded the king of Castile t
of Scots, because all the sea
schism was thus in (be Chu
Castile nnd Scotland were joi
by alliance j and the king of
the king of Portugal were of
opinion gainst tneii enemie:
of Flanders never inclined ir
to pope Clement, that be sb<
pope, because Urban was lii
Rome, who was archbishop of
Clement, being cardinal of G
letters unio the noble earl of 1
there was a pope chosen by di
Rome and named Urban ; '
would not believe after on ll
.ind as long as he lived he
opinion, so was the king of Al
the Empire and also the king
Thus then I put in wiitii^ t
dilTerenccs that I had Kca n
the world and in llii niih
marvel ibou^ the bvdi a
suffered and dtsiinMled Il« ■
brought to my re^KadnuKr
when I was but jramg aarf pa
360
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
write it ; and when I was informed by him
of all that I desired to know, I took leave
of him, and he conveyed me to my ship, and
so did divers other rich merchants of his
country, who were come from Bruges and
from other places to see him. And in his
company there was the son of the count
of Novarre in Portugal and divers other
knights and squires of that realm ; but he
had the chief^ honour among them, and
certainly by that I could see and imagine
of him and of his estate, he was worthy to
have honour, for he was of noble port and
goodly stature and likely to be a valiant
man ; and when I return again from Rome
into mine own country, I shall busy me to
make relation of the words of this gentle
knight called sir John Ferrant Pacheco,
and shall chronicle all that hath fallen in
Portugal and in Castile ^ unto the year of
our Lord MCCCLXXX. and x.
CHAPTERS XLIII-XLVI
SUMMARY.— After the battle of Alju-
barrota ambassadors were sent by the king
of Portugal to get the aid of the duke of
Lancaster, One of these , named Lawrence
Fougasse (Fogafa), gave an account of the
events in Spain and Portugal and of the
battle of Aljubarrota, The duke of Lan-
caster sailed from Bristol in the month of
May with two hundred ships and went first
to Brest,
CHAPTERS XLVII, XLVIII
SUMMARY. — After raising the siege of
Brest the duke of Lancaster sailed on and
landed at Corogna in Galiciay whence he re-
moved after about a month to Compostella,
CHAPTER XLIX
SUMMARY. — GrecU preparations were
made by the French king and his council to
pass over into England ^ and a fleet assembled
1 This is nonsense ; but for the reading * Rome '
instead of * Bruges ' the French text is responsible.
It should be : 'Then I returned to Bruges and to
my own country, and I worked upon the words
and relations made by the gentle knight sir John
Ferrant Pacheco and chronicled all that which be-
fell in regard to Portugal and Castile,' etc. Also
note that it was Froissart who went on board tlie
knight's ship, and not vice versa.
at Sluys of more than twelve kundrtdh
The English prepared f9r defence.
CHAPTERS L-LIII [L, LI, LIII, 1
SUMMARY,— TAe English took k
and VilkUopos in Galicia^ and the (k
Lancaster sent an embassy to the H
Portugal^ who cafne to meet him.
English took Pontevedra, Vigo and Ba
and besieged Ribadavia^ ivhile the kt
Castile hoped for the invasion of En.
by the French king,
CHAPS. LIV-LXII [LIII-LV, LV
SUMMARY,— The French fleet m
sembled at Sluysy and the French king
the dukes qf Burgundy and Bourbon ai
there J and waited for the duke of I
Meanwhile the king of Armenia passA
into England and returned, Findi
duke of Berry arrived^ but owing i
lateness of the season and the contrary i
the voyage was deferred till the spring
the king and lords returned Jrom Slu)
CHAPS. LXni-LXVIII [LXI. I
Lxn, Lxxn, Lxxii, lxxii
SUMMARY — There was much ti
the duel at Paris between Jean de Car
and Jacques Legris^ in which the latU
defeated. King Peter of Ara^on dim
the young king had difficulties wit,
English and with them, of Barcelonct.
John of Brittany^ son of Charles of
was delivered out of p>rison in Flngla\
the means qf Oliver cU Clisson.
An expedition was sent from Fra\
help the king of Castile ; and mean
the Flemish fleet was defeated by the
lishy who landed in Flanders andplun
the country.
CHAPTERS LXIX-LXXVI fXL
LXXIV-LXXX]
SUMMARY. — The English in d
took Ribadavia and Orrh, The ki,
] The mistaken numbering of the chapter
this point to the end of the volume has
corrected, but for convenience of refercnc
numbers as printed in the text of Lord Be
translation are given throughout in brackets.
r
CAPTURE OF THE CONSTABLE DE CUSSON, i
^fottugal was manitd lo Philipf^ of Lan-
^faittr. BesaiKis (Braganm) surrtniltrid
-e the duki of Lancaster.
Gau/iier dc Passac and other French ra^-
aias arrived in Castile. Tkty advised the
■i'lg of Castile not lo gim battle until the
iitke of BourioH came. MeaxaikUt the
iiike of Lancaster resided at Btsances, and
hilker came the king of Portugal, who
arranged 'oiilh the duke of Lancaster lo
idvance into Castile.
CHAPTERS LXXVII-LXXrX
[LXXXI-LXXXIII]
~iUMMAKY.~There was great discont,
'n England, espicially because oftlie itifiuei
^^ the duie of Ireland with the king.
™ The duke of Brittany, being fallen out of
'•^aiour with the E'iglisi, thought to please
^^htm by taJting prisoner the conslable de
Ciisson, mho was preparing an expedition
-=*D England.
m CHAPTEK LXXX [LXXXIII]
How the duke of Brclayne sent for all his
L lords aod knights to come to council unto
Vannes, and after council he desinid Ihe
0 go and see
■epnso
le lord of Beaumanoir with him
■pN tliis foresaid imagination the duke oF
: Bretayne rested, and to come to his intent
ie summoned hiscoancil to come to Vannes,
mil desired all the lords and knights of
lirctayne affectuously for to come Uiither,
iiid he did send out his letters unto them,
itid specially he required sir Oliver of
-Clisson, constable of France, that he shoidd
Xlot fail but for to be there, saying how he
■^ould giadiier see him than any other.
The constable would not excuse himself,
I>ec3use the duke of Bretiyne was his
.viatiiral lord, and was glad to have his good
■'iriil, and so he came to Vannes and so did
tl great number of other lords of Bretayne.
This council was long, and many matters
debated therein touching the duke and his
country, without any word speaking of the
Voyage that they were in purpose to make
Uito England : the duke dissimuled the
'flatter. This council was in the city of
Vannes in a castle called the Mofte. The
duke made all the lords a great dinner and
fed tliem with fair loving words till it was
near night, and then they returned to their
lodgings into the suhnrbs without the city.
And the constable of France, to please the
knights and squires of Bretayne, he desired
them all the next day to dine with him.
Some did so and some departed to their
own houses to lake leave of their wives and
parents, for the constable was purposed, as
sDDo as he departed thence, straight to go
unto his navy at Lautreguier. The duke
of Bretayne knew it right well, but spake
no word thereof making semblanl as
thoogh lie knew nothing. So this dinner
ended, whereas were the most part of the
barons of Bretayne, and suddenly unto
them came the duke of Bretayne right
amorously by seeming, but he thought
otherwise in his heart : none knew thereof
but such as he liad discovered his mind
unto. As soon as he entered into the con-
stable's lodging, some said ; ' Behold here
Cometh the duke.' Then every man rose,
as reason was, and sweetly received him,
as they ought for to do their lord, and he
dealt right gently and he sat down among
them and ate and drank and kept good
company, and shewed them more tokens
of love than ever he did before. And he
said unto them : ' Fair lords, my lovers
and friends, God send you well lo go and
well to come again, and send you joy and
that you may do such deeds of arms as
may please you and that it may be honour-
able unto you all.' And when they heard
these sweet words of the duke, they all
answered and said : ' Sir, we thank you,
and God reward you of your great kind-
ness, that it pleaseth you lo come and see
us at our departing,'
This same season the duke of Bretayne
was making of a caslle near lo Vannes,
called the castle of Ermine, the which as
then was near furnished, and lo the intent
lo attrap the constable there, he said unto
him and unto the lord de Laval and to the
lord of Beaumanoir and to other lords that
were there ; ' Sirs, I require you, or ye de-
^t, to come and see my new castle of
Ermine : ye shall see how I have devised
it and also how I [lurpose for to do.'
They all agreed unto him, bee
saw him come so lovingly among them, ii
362
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSAKT
they thought none evil. And sw the most
part of them mounted on their horses and
rode forth with the duke to the castle of
Krmine. Then the duke, the constable, the ;
lord de Laval and the lord of Bcaumanoir |
and divers other lords and knights alighted
off their horses and entered into the castle,
and the duke led the constable by the hand
from chamber to chamljer and into every
house of office, and made them drink in the
cellar. Then the duke brought them to the
chief tower, and at the door thereof he said
to the constable: *Sir Oliver, I know no
man on this side the sea that knoweth more
in building than ye do. Wherefore I pray
you mount up the stairs and Ixihold the
building of the tower. If it be well, I am
content ; and if anything be amiss, it shall
be reformed after your device.* The con-
stable thinking none evil, said : * Sir, with
right a good will : please it you to go be-
fore and I shall follow you.* *Nay, sir,'
said the duke, * go your way up alone, and
in the mean time I will talk with the lord de
I^val.' The constable went up the stairs, |
and when he was above and past the first
stage, tliere were men in a chamber laid in
a bushment, and they opened the door,
and some went down and did shut the door
Ixineath and the other went up all armed
to the constable. There they took and led
him into a chaml>er and fettered him with
three bolts of iron, and said to him : * Sir,
])ardon us, for we must needs do that we
do : we be thus commanded by our lord
the duke of Bretayne.*
If the constable were al)ashed at that
time, it was no marvel. The constable
ought not to have great marvel of that
chance ; for after that the displeasure fell
between the duke and him, for any letters
that the duke could write to him, or for
any device or safe-conduct to come and go
safely, yet for all that the constable would
never come in the duke's presence, for he
durst not trust him, and now he is come to
his misfortune, for he found the duke in
great displeasure with him, and that was
well shewed.
And when the lord de Laval, being be-
ni-ath at the stair foot, saw the door closed,
his blood began to tremble and had great
fear of his brother ; * and beheld the duke,
1 ' For his hrother-in-l.iw.' Oliver ck- Clisson
h:i(l married Catherine dc LavaL
who waxed pale and green as a leaf.
he knew that the matter went imisi 1
said : 'Ah, sir, for God's sake havei
What will you do ? Take nooe cfil '
against the constable.' 'Sir,* said
duke, 'take ye your horse and dnait:]
may go when ye will : I know weu eni
what I have to do.' * Sir,' said the!
de Laval, ' I will not depart hence wkhul
I have my brother the constable with p]
With these words there came onto
the lord of Beaumanoir, whom the
also hated, and he in like wise de
to have the constable. Then the
drew his dagger and came unto hiai'|
said : ' Beaumanoir, wilt thou be in i|l
same point as thy master is in?' 'ft I
said he, ' I trust my master is in ff^l
case.* ' Well,* said the duke, 'I ^ad\
of thee if thou wilt be in like case.* 'V<&l
sir,* said he. Then die duke took 1^1
dagger by the point and said: 'IfA^I
wilt be in like case, it behoveth tltfM
put out one of thine eyen.' The brf"|
Beaumanoir saw well the matter wflttf I
well, and saw the duke wax P^^l
anger : then he kneeled down on miktfl
and said : ' Sir, I repute so great nobiof I
in you, that I trust m God and yoo tbtf I
will do us right. We be at your ■*^|
and we are come hither at your nqi^l
we trust ye will not dishonour yonnrf*]
accomplish any evil will that ye hi^cjl
us : it should be a strange nove^ I
* Well,* said the duke, * come on thjf**]
for thou shalt have no more nor w'
than he shall have.* So he was ledijl
another chamber and fettered also w|
three pair of irons. If he were
he had a great cause, for he c
well the duke loved him but little norfl
constable also, but then he had no
Anon tidings spread over the castk 1
also the town, how that the consuH**.
France and the lord of Beaumanoir 'I
also the lord de Laval were taken prisoa*!
and how the lord de Laval might d^l
when he would, for the duke dcmiijjl
nothing of him ; whereof the people P|
great marvel, and also great cause «¥l
I 1 ' II en seroit trap grant nouvelle,' 'theR**^!
be much question {pr talk) of it ' : as in *P*"™il
the deposition of Richard II.. 'Car trop ^1
noiivelles seroient en tous royaiumes crestieosw*]
prinse.
CAPTURE OF THE CONSTABLE DR CI.ISSQN
363
' every man said how the duke would
' ihem Ixjih 10 death, he hated Lhi
I rally. The duke was greatly blattied
lil knights and squires thkt heard there-
. md Ihey said there was never a greater
..Illation on any prince than was on the
■'-■X of Bfetoyne, seeing that he had d
ic'l the cnnstable to dine with him and
: 1ii« hnuse and to make him good che<
il it) to take him prisoner, They said
■y never heard of case like ; wherefore
ATS infamed and
uLiiioured, nor thereby no man should trust
jumr prince, lith the duke had deceived
^^wblemen. ' What will the French
^^by when he knoweth this? for by
^Ht voyage into England is broken.
|K was nerei so great a shame imagined,
ptnow the duke ^eweth what lay in hi;^
Tton. We trow there was never seen in
Bmafae ease like, nor in none other place.
If a poor knight had done such a deed,
Ik were dishonoured for ever. In whooi
*«ild a man trust but in his lord ? and
<W lord should maintain him in his right
wd do him justice. Who shall make
Wirectian of this deed? None, but the
French king. Now the duke sheweth
Ttoly how he is on the English part and
Jiilsusloinand hold with the opinion of the
•ingof England, sith he halh thus broken
f '^e vojFi^e by the sea, that should have
England. What shall become
' ''" ind squires of Brelayne,
these tidings ? Nothing,
le from their houses and
• -itge to the castle of Ermine and close
I iliike within, and there tarry till they
If [oken him other dead or quick, and
1 \ him like a false prince to the French
i bus the knights and squires about the
i'lies of Vannes spake and communed
■--y\\a, and such as were come thither
I lilt council with the said lords; and
1 were in great doubt that the duke
-W put them to death. Then some
!iiT uid : 'As for the lord de Laval is in
jcfipardy:' he is so wise that he will
.:'.T the duke in all bis business.' And
V F^o he did, for an he had not been, the
constable had been dead the Srst night, if
he had had a thousand Uves.
It ought to be believed that sir Oliver of
Clisson was not at his ease when he saw
himself so taken and atlrapped and fettered
and kept with thirty persons, and had no
comfort ty them, for they knew not the
wilt of their lord, so that he reckoned him-
self but as a dead man, and also he had no
hope to live till the next day 1 and surely
he woa in great danger, for three times he
was nnfetlered and brought to have been
beheaded or else drowned, and surely so
he had been, if the lord de Laval had not
been. But when this lord de Laval heard
the duke's strait commandment to put him
to death, he kneeled down before him lift-
ing up his hands sore weeping and said :
'Sir, for God's sake take mercy i advise
you, shew not your cruelty against the con-
stable, he hath deserved no death. Sir, of
your grace that it may please you to shew
me the cause of your displeasure against
him, and, sir, I swear unto you, any trespass
that he hath done he shall make you such
amends with his body and goods, or else I
for him, as ye yourself shall demand or
judge. Sir, remember you how in your
yonglh ye two were companions together
and brought up both in one house with the
duke of Lancaster, who was so gentle a
ce that there was none like him. Also,
remember how before his peace was
made with the French king, always he
truly served you ; he aided you to recover
your heritage ; ye have always found in
him good cemfort and counsel : if ye be
now moved or informed against him other-
wise than reason should require, yet he
deserved death.' ' Sir de Laval,'
said the duke, "let me have my will; fur
Oliver of Clisson hath so oftentimes dis-
pleased me, and now is the hour come that
I may shew him my displeasure. Where-
fore depart you hence and let me shew my
cruelty, for I will he shall die.' 'Ah, sir,'
id the lord de Laval, 'refrain your evil
will and moderate your courage and regard
for if ye put him to death, l^ere
prince so dishonoured as ye shall
be. There shall not be in Bretayne knight
~ ir squire, dly nor castle nor good town nor
1 man, but he shall hate you to the death
id do that they can to disinherit yon, nor
e king of England nor his council shall
J
3^4
THE CHROMCLE.^ OF FROrSSART
^ivr 701I no 'hank thet'ifi.r. Sir. will vou
!i>»; 7'jiiritrif ri^r :he 'leaEh 'it -jne man?
-ir. *:im y,\\x ima;;:na:ii4n : fijr '.hi.s thnuj^ht
:.i nf,rhinjj w^rh, but 'iishDm^uraMe, :ha:
•J". inouI<i r^UMi -iiii:!! an hi;noura;)ie knight
li lir Oli"fsr 'S 'ri:.s.s«>n Is, t m iie, coining
inr-i 7'iu ar y-iur iiwn tlt^iire. Surely, sir.
•nil '\f^v\ ihi.iilii i^r; tr':a.s<jn an«i ^eat re-
pr .airh !j«jth l^r'ure < j-^l an^i the world, to
■ifTiire him 'hi;.! r-i 'iinner, ami he coming
• J vo'i. ar.il after that ye went t«) him int*3
■.-•: r ^wn lic^iring him ti) iee your new
"'.'i.l'iinc;^ an«: he oijeyi*: in everything to
V ,11 ari'i irink <'jf vijur wine : and is this the
Tr-A: I';Vr; '.ha: ye sheweii him, to put him
• t :'::a:h ? There wis never s*) great blame
!ai-i Vj any j^ri as shall be kud to you.
All thi: w-jfld shall repriach you an^i ha:e
v-ji morallv an«l h^e Mad to make vou war.
fc'ir, ,ir, r shall shew Viju what ve shall -io,
ii'h ye so s*>re hate him. Put him \.o ran-
iom *.} a Jireat sum of rt^jrins : this ve mav
w^Il do: anil if he hoM other town or
ca-stle that should be vours. deman<i them
again an«i ye shall have them : and l«3ok,
what covenant ye make with him. I shall
fiecume pleilge therefor.' And when the
duke heard the lord de Laval speak so
reasonably and presseti so sore on him as
in a manner all that night he would not
depart from him, then the duke studietl a
little and s<^mewhat refrained his evil will,
an<^l at last spake and said : ' Sir de Laval.
ye be a grjo<l mean fiir him ; howbeit, I
will ye know .-sir Oliver of Clisson is the
man in the world that I most hate : for an
ye were not. he should nut scape witbiut
death this same night. Your words hath
saved him : go to him and demand if he
will pay me a hun<lreil thousand franks
incontinent, for I will nother have him nor
you to plefJge, nor nothing else but the
ready money, and beside that to yield to
me three castles and a town, such as I
shall name, the cas:le of Bourg. the castle
of Josselin, the castle of Blain, and the
town of Jugon, and put me in p«3Ssession of
them, or my <lepuiies : this done, I shall
deliver him to you.* ' This shall be done.'
sai'l the lurd lie Laval, *an<i, sir, I thank
you that ye will thus do at my desire, and,
sir, Ije you sure all that ye have demandet.1
shall l>e done, these castles ami town de-
livered anrl these hundred thousand franks
paid, or he depart. '
Then the locd de Lanl
rejoiceii. when he saw the ooosabkot
peril of ileach. Then the tomerdM
openeii and the lord de Lxral
ami came thereas the constabk
sore abashed, for he looked fior nadii|1
death. And when he nw die W
Laval, his heart revived, and tiioa^
was some treatr in hand. Tha Ae
de Laval said to them that woe
* Sirs, take off his iroos* tint I Bi?
with him from the duke ' : tnd aid VI
* Sir, how say yon ? will yoa do thai
shew you ? ' ' Yea tndy, ar,* wk
constable. Then his irons woe takai
and the lord de Laval drew him vf^
said : * Fair brother, with great pfli
much business I have saved your ft
maiie your end ; ^ bat ye most
ye depart hence, in ready moneys
thousand firanks, and moreover to jidi
to the duke three castles and the tii*i'
Jugon, otherwise ye can have no ti^|
ance.' Then the constable said:*I
not refuse that bargain ; bat who di<^|fJl
Clisson to fetch this money? FairbnH
said the constable, *I think ye ■H^^j
6un to go therefor.' 'Nav, sir, «<*
said the lord de Laval, ' for I hue K
mlsed never to depart oat of this ci^*|
I have you with me ; for I knowwJ*
duke is right cruel, and peiad*eiil*J'
mine absence will repent him bysoneVt
information, and so then all were h^
' VMiv, who shall go then?' said the*
stable. ' Sir,* said he, 'the lord of B*'
manoir shall go. He is here in p>fi*''
well as ye be ; he shall make all thii p^
\-ision.' * That is well said,' said tbe^!
stable ; *" go your way down and ori^
everything as ye UsL
bed,
Then
said:
Hs
nuano
stable
ranso
of ih
*\Vel
of pr
and I
wOln
when
you.'
of the
thithe
Was i
andc
when
Were
when
Wrt
him
your
CHAPTER LXXXI [LXXXV]
How the constable of France was ddhfl^
at the request of the lord de Laval, f?
in:;;^ certain ransom, and how the const^
delivered to the duke three castles aod>
town and paid CM. franks.
I Thts the lord de Laval went downoot»
the tower to the duke, who was goir^v
I ^ ' J'ai fait vostre tin,' * I have made your td*^
I The expression * fair brother ' in the passage it^
sents 'beau-frere.'
off,a
and
thith
them
glad
som-
find
their
wron
Jhnt
Jtori
^evs
^\
the
abi-i
and
the
hat
w
V,
lb
n
[
CAPTURE OF THE CONSTABLE DE CLISSON
365
ifor of all that night be had not slept.
■- the lord de Lavnl kneeled down and
' Sir, ye shall have all your demand,
sir, ye must deliver the lord of Beau-
»ir, that he may speak with the con-
^, for he must go and fetch this
Km and put your men in possession
*e casUes that ye desire to have.'
11,' said the duke, 'deliver Ihera out
■rison and put them into a chamber
Vie you the mean of their treaty, for I
n»ot see them ; and return again to me
» I have slept, and I «-ill speak with
Then the lord de Laval issued out
^ chamber a.nd went with two knights
^r, whereas the lord of Beaumanoir
in prison, who was greatly abashed
K^oubled sore the death. He feared,
». he heard the door open, that they
come to have put him to death ; but
1 he saw the lord de X.aval enter, his
:. revived, and more when he heard
speak, sajing : ' Sir of Beaumanoir,
deliverance is made, wherefore ye
le glad.' Then his fetters were taken
i-nd so he went into another chamber,
then the constable was also brought
er, and meat and wine was brought to
> , for all the servants of the house were
of their deliverance, for they were
"■ of that case : howbeit, they might
no remedy, it behoved them to obey
' master's commaudment in r^ht or in
ig ; and as soon as the castle gate was
and the bridge diiwn, there entered
issued nother man nor woman, for the
< were in the duke's chamber and he
L till it was three of the clock. And
knights and squires that were without
ling for their masters were Sore abashed,
said : ' Now our season and voyage by
sea is lest and broken. Ah, constable.
It mishap is feUen to you ? what counsel
h deceived you P The council that was
je and assembled at Vannes was made
none other intent but to altrap you.
were wont to be of the opinion that if
duke had sent for you and had made
a thousand assurances, yet ye would
have gone nor come at his command-
it, ye doubled him so sore ; and now
went simply at his desire.' Every man
>iigb the duchy of Bretaync complained
the constable and wist not what to do
say, and all knights and squires said :
'What do we here? Why do we not go
and enclose the duke in his castle of
Ermine? And if he have slain the con-
stable, serve him in like manner ; and if he
keep him in prison, let us do so that we
may have him r^ain. There fell never
such a mischief in Bretayne.' Thus one
and other said, but there were none that
stirred forward, but tarried to hear other
Thus tidings spread abroad, so that
within two days It was at Fails, wherewith
the king and his uncles, the duke of Berry
and the duke of Burgoyne, had great
marvel. As then the duke of Bourbon
was gone to Avignon to go into Castile,
and had seen the pope Clement on his way.
These tidings came to him as he was at
Lyon -sur-]e- Rhone, and with him the
earl of Savoy. And the earl of Saint-Pol,
the lord of Coucy ftnd [thej admiral <rf
France, being at Harfleur ready to have
entered into the sea toward then" voyage,
when they heard how the duke of Bretayne
had taken the constable of France prisoner
in his castle of £rmine, and the lord de
Laval and the lord of Beaumanoir with
him, and they that brought those tidings
said how the bruit ran in Bretayne how the
duke of Bretayne had put to death the
constable of France and the lord of Beau-
manoir ; these were hard tidings to these
lords and they said : ' Now our voyage is
broken : let us give leave to all our men of
war to depart, and let us go to Paris to the
king and see what he will do.' Then the
admiral said : 'It is good we do so, but let
not our men depart ; peiadventnre the king
will send them to some other port, may
happen into Castile, for the duke of
Bourbon is going thither, or else peradven-
ture he will send them into Bretayne to
make war against the duke. Think you
that the French king will suffer that matter
thus to overpass ? Nay surely, for the king
shall receive by this bargain damage to the
sum of two hundred thousand florins, beside
the loss and hurt that is done to his constable,
if he scape the life. Was there ever case
like, thus the king to break his voyage,
who was in good mind to have done
damage to his enemies ? I^l us tany here
still a two or three days and peradventure
we shall hear some other tiding a
France or out of Bretayne.'
366
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
CHAPTER LXXXII [LXXXVI]
How writings were made at the duke of
Bretaync's device fur the constable to
render his town and ca.stk>s to the duke
and to his heirs for <*vi«r, and how they
were delivered to the <lukc.
Now let us siK'ak a liitle of the duke of
Hretayne, who when he had slept, rose and
ma<ie him ready, and then he sent for the
lord de Laval, who came to him, and there
they were together a long space. Finally
letters were written according to the duke's
will making mention that the constable sir
Oliver of Clisson renouncc<l clean his title
for ever of the said town and castles and
yieldetl them purely to the duke of Bretayne
and to his heirs for ever, and that these
writings should be iK'rmanent without any
repeal. And then tlie lord of Beaumanoir
was ordained by the constable to go to
these castles and to cause them that had
the rule of them to dei>art thence, and
to put in possession the duke*s men, and
l)eside that to levy in ready money a hun-
dred thousand franks to pay to the duke.
When all this was concluded, the gates
of the castle was ojx'ned and the lord of
Beaumanoir issued out charged and or-
dained by the constable to accomplish all
these ordinances, and he was desired to
make all the diligence that might be : and
with him went servants of the duke's, and
noised as they went how the constable was
sure of his life and was put to ransom.
All such as loved him, knights and squires,
were glad thereof and so thereby sat still ;
for they were determined to have gone and
laid siege to the castle of Ermine and have
closed the duke therein : they never did
thing that they would have been gladder
of. So these tidings ran abroad with the
wind, so that the lords and knights being
at Hartleur heard thereof and had certain
knowleilge that the constable had K'on
dead, an the lord de Laval had not K»en :
and thoy s;iid ; ' As for the deliverance of
his town and castles, he shall recover them
ai^aiii, or else other, at time and leisure : the
French king hath enow for him if he neeil.
Now we may dejnirt from hence ; our
voyage is broken : let us give our men
leave to dejxirt and let us go to Paris and
learn tidings there ; for we bear sijli
all such as were at Lautreguierarecooi
manded, the which is a sign that *e A
go nowhere at this season.' Thos ik
gave licence to all their men of nr
depart and themselves departed ton
Paris, where the king was.
llie lord of Beaumanoir did so ok
that within four days he had set the d^
of Bretayne's servants in possession of'-
foresaid castles and town of Jugon, i
after he paid the hundred thousand fia
for the constable's ransom, thereas t
duke commanded. When all was dd
the lord de Laval said to the duke: ^^
ye have now that you demanded, the ki
dred thousand franks, the town of Jop
the castle of Bourg, and the white castk
Jossclin ; ^ therefore, sir, now deliver i
the constable.' *I am content,' said:
duke : *• let him go when he will : I i
him leave.' Thus the constable was<
livered, and he and the lord de Lf
departed from the castle of YM
^Yhen they were abroad in the W
the constable made no long tarrying
Bretayne, but mounted on a good hoc
and his page on another, and son
that within two days he came to Paris i
alighted at his own house, and then «
to the castle of Louvre, to the kin; i
his uncles, the duke of Berry and oTB
goyne. His men followed after him
their leisure.
The king knew* of his delivenmce, 1
he knew not that he was so near, and i
glad when he heard thereof, and caused
chamber doors to be set open against b
and so he came into the king's prese
and kneeled down before him and si
* Right redoubted lord, your father, wh
(iO(l pardon, made me constable of Frai
which office to my power I have well i
truly exercised, and if there be any e«
your grace and my lords your uncles t
will say that I have not acquitted nj
truly, or done anything contrary to
crown of France, I am here ready to
my gage in that quarrel.' The kii^
none other made none answer to tl
w»)rds. Then he said further : * Right'
sir and noble king, it fortuned in Breti
in doing of mine office the duke of Bret
» ' Chaste! -Josselin et Ic Blain,' 'the casi
Josselin and Blain.'
r
CAPTURE OF THE CONSTABLE DE CLISSON
367
;i-, an God had iiol been and the
1 Laval. So that I was constrained,
iiilil be delivered CFUt of his hands, to
nofm
taytif
fs and the sum of a hundi
. jnd tjanks, Whetefore, right dear ,
r and noble king, the blame and dam^c
ii^tthedukeof Bretayne halh done, greari)'
itjadtflh your majesty royal ; for the
< n'iit that I and my company should
i' niifle by the sea is broken. Whete-
. -Ai, I yield up the office of the con-
1- ■liip : sir, provide for another, such
in.ll please you, for I will no more hear
liaise thereof, I should have none
iir lo do it.' 'Constable,' said the
. ' we know well that we have hurt
l^moge, and is a thing greatly to the
jiiice of our realm. We will incon-
1:1 send for the peers of France lo see
I'M shall be best to be done in this case :
Vilist take ye do thought, for ye shall
Vq nght and reason. '
l^lhoi the king took the constable by the
ised him up, and said ; ' Con-
II not that ye depart from your
mannet, but we will that ye
e take other coansel.' Then
jbble kneeled down again and said :
a- toucheth roe so near, that
. The office is great, for I
A answer every man ; and
Jed that I can answer no
lerefbre, sir, I retjuirc your grace
•a another for a season, and I
,- be ready at your command-
to,' said the duke of Burgoyne,
4 enough : ye shall take advice.'
' id 3ie king. Then the con-
id went to the duke of Berry
* duke of Burgoyne and advised
■■ ■ a his business and to inform
r, seeing the case
1 greatly, in [hat ihey had
g of the realm : but in speak-
in and hearing the whole matter
! the matter touched not them
le made of,^ so that finally they
n for going to Vanncs, saying lo
Silll your navy was ready and that
d squires tarried for yon
tregitier.' And also when ye were at
Vannes anil had dined with the duke and
relumed again (o your castle of Bourke,^
H'^t had you then anything to do to tarry
there any longer nor to go again to Ihejdnlte
to the castle of Ermine?' 'Sir,'said the
constable, 'he shewed me so fair semblant
that I durst not refuse it.' ' Constable,' said
the duke of Bui^oyne, 'in fiiir semblants
e great deceptions. I reputed you more
ibtle than I take you now- Go your way,
the matter shall do well enough, we shall
:gard it at leisure. '
Then ihe oinstable perceived well that
these lords were harder and ruder to him
than the king was ; so he departed and
' to his own lodging, and thither came
m certain of the lords of the parlia-
to see him, and said to him that the
;r should do right well : and also
came to him to counsel him the eail
tint-Pol, the lord of Coucy and the
admiral of France, and they said to him ;
Constable, make no doubt, for ye shall
Lave reason of the duke of Bretayne ; for he
hath done against the crown of France
displeasure and worthy to be shamed
and put out of his country. Go your ways
and pass the time at Montlhery, there ye
shall be on your own, and let us alone with
the matter ; for the peers of France will
not suffer the matter to rest thus.' The
constable believed these lords and so de-
[ableshlp w
said that sir Guy of
iDUille shonld be constable : but il was
■Q ; he was so well advised that he
not take it out of the hands of sir
of Clisson.
ould
SUMMARY.^Ttu dukt of Guildrn sett
his defiance to the French king, which
troubled the court of Franu, already cm-
barriKsed by the again in Brittany.
Mean-while the duke of Latuaster tmik
iTher
it cLould
368
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
OrensCy let/hit^ the f^arrison of Bretons gj
with their plunder. The kin:; of Portugal
first attempted the eastle of Santarem^ atid
then returning to Galicia took Ferrol for
the dt*he of Lancaster. Finally the king of
Portugal and the duke of Laticcuter drew
together^ thinking to have battle with the
king of Castile,
The bishop of Langres and three others
n»ere sent to the duke of Brittany to summon
him to Paris.
The author then says (chap. Ixxxvi. [xc] ) : —
It mijjht be demanded of me how I
knew all these matters, to speak so pro-
])erly of them. I answer to all such that I
have made great diligence in my days to
know it, and have searched many realms
and countries, to come to the true know-
ledge of all the matters contained in this
history written and to be written, for God
gave me the grace to have the leisure to
see in my days and to have the acquaint-
ance of all the high and mighty princes
and lords, as well in France as in England ;
for in the year of our Lord God a thousand
three hundred fourscore and ten I had
laboured thirty-seven years, and as then I
was of the age of fifty-seven years ; and in
thirty-seven years a man being in strength
and well retained in every coast as I was
(for after my young days I was in the king
of England's court five years with the queen,
and also I was welcome to king John of
France and to king Charles his son) might
well learn many things : and surely it was
always my chief imagination and pleasure
to enquire and to retain it by writing. And
how I was informed of the taking of the
constable of France I shall shew you.
A year after this matter fell I rode from
the city of Angers to Tours in Touraine,
and I lay on a night at Beaufort-in -the- Vale,
and the next day I met with a knight of
Bretayne called William d'Ancenis. He
was riding to see my lady of Maill^ in
Touraine, his cousin, and her children : she
was newly a widow. And I fell in acquaint-
ance with this knight and found him right
courteous and sweet of words. Then I
demanded of him some tidings, and speci-
ally of the taking of the constable, which
matter I was glad to hear and to know the
truth thereof : and he shewed me, and said
how he had been at the parliament at
Vannes with the lord of Ancenisluii
a great baron of Bretayne; and ill
manner as sir Elspang de Lyon ia
of all things that had fallen in Fo^i
Beam and in Gascosme, and also si'
John Ferrant Pacheco shewed metfi
the matters of Portugal and of Cttd^^
like manner this Imi^t shewed me
things, and more would have doiKiiJ|
had ridden longer in his company,
between Monliheme and Frilly mil
p;reat leagues, and we rode bat
m this way he shewed me many
the which I bare well in my remc
and specially of the adventures of]
and thus as we rode and that we
near to Frilly, we entered into a
There this knight rested and said: 'J
God have mercy of the soul of the |
constable of France. He did hereotf^
good journey and profitable for the ;
under the banner of sir John de Badi|i
he was not as then constable, bottf
come out of Spain.' And I demaoik||
him how it was. ' I shall shew yoOi''
he, * when I am on horseback * : and >!
mounted. Then we rode forth £ui'
easily, and as we rode he said :
SUMMARY.Sir William d'Anam*
lated how Bertrand du Guesclin
the Englishmen^ Gascons^ Bretm
others who plundered the land, aid^
wards he told the legend of Berind*
Gtusclin^s family, to shew that he m^'
be called rather du Glay-Aquin.
The author then continues thus (c
Ixxxvii. [xci.]) : —
If I had been as long in company ^
this knight sir William of AncenisasI^
with sir Espang de Lyon, when I ^
with him from the city of PamierstoO
in Beam, or else as long as I had
with sir John Ferrant Pacheco of ~
he would have shewed me many
But it was not so ; for after dinner,
we had ridden a two leagues, we cane'
forked way : the one way was i^^ '
Tours in Touraine, whither-as I
to ride, and the other way was to
whither the knight was determined toj
So at this way we brake company,
leave each at other, but between PnJJlC
our departing he shewed me many I
di specially of the business in Breto
::3 how the bishop of Langres was se
^ stead of the bishop of Beauvais,
r<J by the way, and how the bishop of
^igres with sir Johti de Bueil and other
■oe to the duke of Bretayne, and of the
B.weT that they had. And on tlie infomia-
■n of this knight I took ray foundation
3 have wcilten as foUoweth.
^MMARY. — The ambassador! came to
^Joies and summiintdlhc duke of'Briltany
^'arir, but lu Justified his aclion and de-
•tnd U come, viilk which answer the king
^ Ms council were ill contenl.
aAPS. LXXXVIII-XCVII [XCII-CI]
■^MAfARY.—In England the duke of
"^uccsler headed the tnmemeni of discon-
J with the gBuernment of the duke of
'Jand. By his advice the Londoners and
^ of other towtts made complaints to the
^£, and a parlianunt was assembled to
^mine the accounts. Seeing thai things
^il badly, the king and lie duke of Ire-
=«/ departed for Bristol : sir Simon Burley
s comiemned and executed.
'3'he duke of Ireland had commission from
king la raise an army, and sir Xoiert
'^svelyan was sent as a spy to London, but
'dured and executed.
'^ke duke of Ireland was defeated on the
■^3mes belmo Oxford and fled to Flanders.
"STie king loas brought to London and a
~-!iament met at Westminster, at which
oaths of homage were renewed.^
IHAPTERS XCVIII-CVI [CII-CXJ
^IIMARY.— The king of Portugal and
dttke of Lancaster, healing joined forces,
'-.sed the Douro and entered Castile; but
^! found the country cUl laid waste, and
English suffered much from the climate.
« king of Caslile declined battle. Finally
sickness increased so much, that the diikt
Lancaster dismissed his army, obtaining
and returned straight to France, visiting
the earl of Foix on his way : also the French
companies left Spain, and the duke of Lan-
caster, who was sick, ivenl by sea to Bayonne.
Jn the mean time ike earl of Artiiagnac
treated with the captains of companies in
France and caused many to leave the realm.
CHAPTERS CVII-CXI [CXI-CXV]
SUMMARY.—Tn the quarrel between the
duke ofjuliers and the duke of Brabant the
duke of Brabant was taken prisoner and the
duke of Gueldres, brother of the duke of
Juliers, was killed in the year 1371. The
duke of Brabant was released by coramatid
of the emperor. WUliam, son of the duke of
Juliers, succeeded to the duchy of Gueldres.
The dispute was continued between
Gueldres and Brabant, and the duke of
Gueldres against the adiiite of his father
made alliance with the king of Fngicaid and
sent his defiance to the hit^ of France, lakile
the duchess of Brabant sent to the king of
France for aid.
CHAPS. CXII-CXVIII [CXVI-CXXII]
SUMMARY. — The king <f Navarre died ■
by a strange accident.
Treaties went forward to rid France of
the companies, and the duke of Merry be-
sieged Geoffrey Tfle-Noire in the castle of
Ventadour.
The duke of Burgundy sent help to the
duchess of Btabant.
Ferrot of Bi'arn with his company took
Monlferrand in Auvergne, whereat the king
and his uncles were much displeased.
SUMMARY.— The daughter of the duke
of Berry was married to Louis of Blois.
The comte d'JUlampis was sent to bring
the duke of Brittany to reason by fair means,
but could effect nothing.
The English conquests in Galicia were
recovered by the king of Castile within
fifteen days.
The duke of Brittany allied himself with
the English and with the king of Now
370
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
The Brabanfois laid siege to Grave.
The duke o/ Lancaster entertained pro-
posals for a marriage of his daughter
Katherine with the duke of Berry,
The lord of Coucy was sent to the duke of
Brittany^ who before he came restored the
castles which he had taken from Oliver de
Clisson,
In the mean time the duke of Lancaster
went on with his treaty of marriage with
the duke of Berry, while really intending to
marry his daughter to the son of the king of
Castile.
CHAPTERS CXXVI-CXXXV
[CXXX-CXXXIX]
SUMMARY.— The duke of Brittany was
persuaded to go to Paris to see the kin^, and
about the same time the king of Sicily and
his mother came thither.
The English coming to aid the duke of
Brittany were long on the sea, and at length
disembarked near Rochelle.
The siege of Grave was continued by them
of Brabant, who were defeated by the duke
of Gueldres between Ravestein and Grave.
The French king, having heard of this, de-
sired yet more to go into Gueldres, and his
uncles were compelled to allow him to go.
The French army advanced through the
Ardennes, to avoid passing through Brabant,
CHAPTER CXXXVI [CXL]
SUMMARY. — The Scots determined to
invade England. An English squire, sent
to find out their intent, wcls discovered and
captured. The main army of the Scots went
towards Carlisle, while the earl DouglcLS with
a smaller body entered Northumberland.
CHAPTER CXXXVII [CXLI]
How the earl Douglas won the pennon of
sir Henry Percy at the barriers before
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and how the Scots
brent the castle of Pontland, and how sir
Henry Percy and sir Ralph his brother took
advice to follow the Scots to conquer again
the pennon that was lost at the scrim mish.
When the English lords saw that their
squire returned not again at the time
appointed, and coald know nothin{
the Scots did, nor what they were pi:
to do, then they thought well tha
squire was taken. The lords sent <
other, to be ready whensoever they
hear that the Scots were abroad :
their messenger, they thought him b
Now let us speak of the earl I
and other, for they had more to <
they that went by Carlisle. Wh
earls of Douglas, of Moray, of Mai
Dunbar* departed from the grea
they took their way thinking to p
water and to enter into the bishc
Durham, and to ride to the town ai
to return, brenning and exiling the c
and so to come to Newcastle and t(
there in the town in the despite of
Englishmen. And as they determi
they did assay to put it in use, for th
a great pace under covert without d
any pillage by the way or assaulting
castle, tower or house, but so car
the lord Percy's land and passed tfc
of Tyne without any let a three
above Newcastle not far from Bran.
and at last entered into the bisho
Durham, where they found a good o
Then they began to make war,
people and to biren villages and to d
sore displeasures.
As at that time the earl of North
land and the other lords and knij
that country knew nothing of their o
When tidings came to Newcastle \
Durham that the Scots were abroa
that they might well see by the fir
smoke abroad in the country, the ea
to Newcastle his two sons and seni
mandment to every man to draw to
castle, saying to his sons : * Ye shall
Newcastle and all the country shall asj
there, and I shall tarry at Alnwick,
is a passage that they must pass by.
may enclose them, we shall speed well
Henry Percy and sir Ralph his b
obeyed their father's commandmen
came thither with them of the co
The Scots rode burning and exilic
country, that the smoke thereof ca:
Newcastle. The Scots came to the
of Durham and scrimmished there
1 George, earl of March and Dunbar: tl
gives Mare, but there was at this time no •
Mar.
they tarried not long but returned, as they
had ordnineJ before to do, and that they
found by the way took and destroyed it.
Between Durham and Newcastle is but
twelve leagues English and a good country :
there was no town, without it were closed,
but it was brent, and they repassed the
river of Tyne where they had passed be-
fore, and then came before Newcastle and
there rested. All the English knights and
squires of thecountry of York and bishopric
of Durham were assembled at Newcastle,
and thither came the seneschal of York,
sir Ralph Lumley, sir Matthew Redman,
captain of Berwick, sir Robert Ogle, sir
'rbomas Grey, sir Thomas Holton, sir
John Felton, sir John Lilleburn, sir Thomas
Abingdon, the baron of Hilton, sir John
Coppledike and divers other, so that the
town was so lull of people that they wist
not where to lodge.
When these three Scottish earls who
e chief captains had made thei
the bishopric of Durham and had
.run the country, then they re-
turned to Newcastle and there rested and
tarried two days, and every day they sciim-
inisbed. The earl of Northumberland's
fwo sons were two young lusty knights and
yrere ever foremost at the barriers to scrim-
mish. There were many proper feats of
arms done and achieved -. there was fight-
ing hand to hand : among ether there
fought hand to hand the earl Douglas and
sir Henry Percy, and by force of arms the
earl Douglas won the pennon of sir Henry
Percy's, wherewith he was sore displeased
and so were all the Englishmen. And the
«arl Douglas said to sir Henry Percy;
•Sit, I shall bear this token of your
jirowess into Scotland and shall set it on
Iiigh on my castle of Dalkeith, that it may
Tie seen far o(E' ' Sir,' quoth sir Henry,
■* ye may be sure ye shall not pass the
liounds of this country till ye be met withal
Sn such wise that ye shall make none
«ivauot thereof.' 'Well, sir, ' quoth the earl
IDouglas, 'come this night to my lodging
^and seek for your pennon : I shall set it
Tbcfoie mv lodging and see if ^e will come
■«:o Lake it away.' So then it was late,
^nd the Scots withdrew to their lodgings
^nd refreshed them with such as they had.
"They had flesh enough ; they made that
-■^ighl good watch, for they thought surely
to be awaked for the words they had
spoken, but they were not, for sir Henry
Percy was counselled not so to do.
The next day the Scots dislodged and
returned towards their own country, and so
came to a castle and a town called Font-
land, whereof sir Edmutid of Alphel was
lord, who was a right good knight. There
the Scots rested, for they came thither be-
tiroes, and understood that the knight was
in his castle. Then they ordained to assail
the castle, and gave a great assault, so that
by force of arras they won it and the knight
within it. Then the town and castle was
brent ; and from thence the Scots went to
the town and castle of Otterbum, an eight
English mile from Newcastle^
lodged. That day th^ made none assault,
but the next morning they blew their boms
and made ready to assail the castle, which
strong, for it stood in the matish.
That day they assaulted till they were
weary, and did nothing. Then they
sowned the retreat and returned to their
lodgings. Then the lords drew to council
to determine what they should do. The
most part were of the accord that the next
day they should dislodge without giving of
any assault and to draw fair and easily
towards Carllsie. But the earl Douglas
brake that counsel and said : ' In despite
of sir Heniy Percy, who said he would
come and wm again his pennon, let us not
depart hence for two or three da)-s. Let
us assail this castle : it is pregnable : we
shall have double honour. Arid then let
us see if he will come and fetch his pennon :
he shall be well defended.'* Everyman
accorded to his Saying, what for their
honour and for the love of him. Also they
lodged there at their ease, for there was
none that troubled them : they made many
1 Frciisart Bays *ci£ht £nEllsbleaEiJc^' In ihc
ncit chaKtr the distance becomes 'seven litlle
-,glishjml=.,-«h,M
'Camt
The actual d
lefonn
rgc' in the l_...
. ll is remaricsile
and ^Ppii"ttn"°for**'PoTitlind/ forai" ralher'fess
Ihan Ihose which he found in
372
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
loHgings of boughs and great herbs anil
fortifiiKl their camp sagely with the maiish
that was (hereby, and their carriages were
Kt at the entry into the maiishes and bad
all their beasts within the maiish. Then
they apparelled for to assault the next day :
this was their intention.
Now let us speak of sir Henry Tercyand
of sir Ralph his brother and shew Mimewhat
what they did. They were sore displeased
that the earl Douglas had won the pennon
of theit arms : also it touched greatly their
honours, if they did not as sir Henry Percy
said he would ; for he had said to the eail
Douglas that he should not cany his
pennon out of England, and also he had
openly spoken it before all the knights
and squirts that were at Newcastle. The
Englishmen there thought surely that the
earl Douglas' band was but the Scots' van-
guard and that their host was left behind.
The knights of the country, such as were
well expert in arms, spake against dr Heniy
Percy's opinion and said to him : ' Sir,
there fortuneth in war oftentimes many
losses. If the earl Douglas have won yout
|»ennon, he bought it dear, for he came to
the gate to seek it and was well beaten : '
another day ye shall win as much of him
or more. Sir, we say this because we
know weil all the power of Scotland is
abroad in the fields, and if we issue out
and be not men enow lo light with them,
and peradventure they have made this
scrimmish with us to the intent to draw
us out of the town, and the number thai
they be of, as it is said, above forty thou-
sand men, they may soon enclose us and
do with ua what they will. Yet it were
better to lose a pennon than two or three
hundred knights and sauires and put all
country in adventure. These words
froinec! sir Henry and his brother, for they
would do nothing against counsel. Then
tidings came (o them by such as had seen
the ffcots and seen all their demeanour and
what way they look and where they rested.
. _, lb.
pennon that the earl Donglu
before Newcastle-npon-1^^ O*
they assailed the Scots before "—^
ihdr lodgings.
It was shewed to nr Henry fti^i
his brother and to the other Wp"j
squires that were there, by «di ^
followed the Scots from NewouH","*
well advised their <ioine, who s»J IJ
Henry and to sir RaljA: 'Sn. ■'j
followed the Scots pirrily vA 1»<|
covered all the counliy. TIm S*
at Pontland and ha.ve taken at 'J
Alphel in his ova castle, and ton*
ihey be gone to Otterbnm ind ««'
lay this night. What thej ■«*
morrow we know not: theyw"*
to abide there : and, ars, sore
host is not with them, for in
not there a three thousand
sir Henry heard that,
said: 'Sus, let us leap -
by the faith I owe to God aod
my fether I will m seek lor myl^ ^^
dislodge Ibem iMs same ■^^'^.j
and squires that heard hinug""'"
and were joyous, and every bW*
""' 'ening thetoshop"!^
housand n* ' ]
at, he wu l^l '«l
,eap on OBI B* ^
o God aod »^ ^
CII.vrTER CXXXVHI [CXT.II]
ow sir Henrv FVrcy and bis
pood numlier of men of arJ
went after the Scots, to win again
1 U. 'well fought wiih.'
came thither with a good r-j-i
heard at Durham how the S(»l '
before Newcastle and how '''•'.Ti
Percy's sons with other lords «i»"
should fiehl with the Scots : ih^
!ii5hop of Durham to come to U*
had assembled up all the countij'
was coming to Newcastle. Bat s»
Percy would not abide his
had with him mx hundred «, . ,
and squires, and an dghl tbtea"'
men. They thought that sufficiffl'
to fight with the Scots, if they
but three hundred spears and lh« .
I sani! of other. Thus Ibey depMWJ
Newcastle after dinner and set W
good order, and took the same«t|r'
Scots had gone and rode
ses-en little leagues from thence
wav, but they could not ride fast
of iheir fool-men. And when the
hail supped and some laid down 1°
rest, and were weary of travailinj
assaulting of the castle all that dij.
ihougbl to rise early ' '
BATTLE OF OTTERBURN, [388 [.-J«,r. 5}
373
n»l of ihe day to give a new assault,
ifteiFvitli suddenly Ihe Englishmen came
■ n lliem and Enleied into the lodgings,
rvKDing it had been the masteca' lodgings,
mil therein were but yarlets and servants.
Then the Englishmen ciied, ' Percy,
'fErqfl' end entered into the lodgings,
'Hid ye know well where such affray is
'ilfisc is soon raised : and it fortuned well
fe the Scots, for when they sow the
'^lishmen came to wake them, then the
"' ' a certain of their servants of
1 scrimmish with the English-
at the entry of the lodgings, and in
mean time they armed and apparelled
~ every man un<]er his banner and
his captain's pennon. The night
t on, but the moon shone so bright
11 it had been in a manner day. It
e month of August and the
*ellier (air and temperate,
Scots were drawn together and
AlhDut any noise departed from their
^■idnngs and went about a little mountain,
iMuch was greatly for their advantage.
^w all the day before they had well advised
We ^ace and said among themselves : ' If
(be Et^lishmen come on us suddenly, then
yn iriU do thus ajid thus, for il is a
ict^dous thing in the night if men of war
Atter into our lodgings. If they do, then
*eiMll draw to such a place, and thereby
Btbcr we shall win or lose.' When the
DEoElishmen entered into the Geld, at the
Eta Ibey soon overcame the varlets, and
'ft they entered further in, always they
farad new men to bu^ them and to si
Bish with them. Then suddenly 1
Bit Scots from about the mountain am
■B the Englishmen or they were ware, and
RMd their cries ; whereof the Englishmen
•ere sore aslonied. Then they cried ' Percy !'
Md the other party cried ' Douglas I '
, There b^an a cruel battle and at thi
bst encounter many were overthrown of
both parties ; and because the Ei^lishmi
Mica great number and greatly £sircd
ftmiiiidi their enemies, and rested at their
)ue' ind greatly did put aback the Scots,
B that the Scots were near discomfited.
Iten the earl James Douglas, who was
pwig anil strong and of great desire to get
P^ and grace, and was willing to deserve
bW™ it, and cared for no pain nor travail,
•Infiaicb, 'iliacamstcrtnl,' wilbout 'and,'
forth with his banner and cried,
' Douglas, Douglas 1 ' and sir Henry Percy
tnd sir Ralph his brother, who had great
ndignation agaimt the ear) Douglas be-
cause he had won the pennon of their arms
the barriers before Newcastle, come to
that part and cried, ' Percy ! ' Their two
banners met and their men : there was a
fight : the Englishmen were so strong
and fought so valiantly that they reculed
the Scots back. There were two valiant
knights of Scots under the banner of the
earl Douglas, called sir Patrick of Hepbonrn
and sir Patrick hts son. They acquitted
themselves that day valiantly : the earl's
banner had been won, an ihey had not
been : they defended it so valiantly and in
' e rescuing thereof did such feats of arms,
at it was greatly to their recommendation
id to their heirs' for ever after.
It was shewed me by such as had been
tlie same battle, as well by knights and
squires of England as of Scotland, at the
house of the eail of Foix, — for anon after
Ibis battle was done I met at Orthez two
squires of England called John of Chaleau-
neuf and John of Cantiron i also when I
returned to Avignon I found also there a
knight and a squire of Scotland ; I knew
them and they knew me by such tokens
as I shewed them of their country, for I,
author of this book, in my youth had
ridden nigh over all the realm of Scotland,
and I was as then a fifteen days in the
bouse of earl WilHam Douglas, father to
the same earl James, of whom I spake of
now, in a caslle a five leagues from Edin-
burgh in the country of Dalkeith ; ' the
same time I saw there this earl James, a
fair young child, and a sister of his called
the lady Blanche, — and I was informed by
both these parties' how this battle was as
sore a battle fought as lightly hath been
heard of before of such a number ; and I
believe it well, for Englishmen on the one
party and Scots on Uie other party are
good men of war, for when they meet there
is a hard fight without sparing, there is no
ho between them as long asspears, swords,
axes or daggers will endure, but lay on
1 'Which is (ailed in ihe counlry Dalkcllh.'
The French has " aw an nomnie au pays Dacquest, '
374
THE CHROmCLES OF FROISSART
each upon other, and when they be well
beaten^ and that the one party hath
obtained the Ticton-, they then glority so
in their deeds of arms and are so joyiul,
that such as be taken thev shall be ran-
somed or they go out of the held, so that
shortly each of them is so content with
other that at their departing courteously
they will say, * God thank you ' : but in
fighting one with another there is no play
nor sparing, and this is true, and that :^iall
well appear by this said rencounter, for it
was as valiantly foughten as could be
devised, as ye shall hear.
CHAPTER CXXXIX [CXLIII]
How the earl James Douglas by his valiant-
ness encouraged his men, who were re>
culed and in a manner discomfited, and in
his so doing he was wounded to death.
Knights and squires were of good courage
on both parties to tight \'aliantly : cowards
there had no place, but hardiness reigned
with goodly feats of arms, for knights and
squires were so joined together at hand
strokes, that archers had no place of
nother party. There the Scots shewed
great hardiness and fought merrily with
great desire of honour : the Englishmen
were three to one : howbeit, I say not but
Englishmen did nobly acquit themselves,
for ever the Englishmen had rather been
slain or taken in the place than to fly.
Thus, as I have said, the banners of Douglas
and Percy and their men were met each
against other, enWous who should win the
honour of that journey. At the banning
the Englishmen were so strong that they
reculed back their enemies : then the earl
Douglas, who was of great heart and high
of enterprise, seeing his men recule back,
then to recover the place and to shew
knightly valour he took his axe in both his
hands, and entered so into the press that
he made himself way in such wise, that
none durst approach near him, and he was
so well armed that he bare well off such
strokes as he received.' Thus he went
ever forward like a hardy Hector, wiling
1 * When they have well fought.'
2 ' No man was so well armed that he did not
fear the great strokes which he gave.'
alone to conquer the field and to diifl*
tit his enemies : but at last he wis »
countered with three spears all at 04,
the one strake him on the shoaIdff,ii|
other on the breast and the stroke gW
down to his belly, and the third stnlulii
in the thigh, axid sore hurt with ill A*
strokes, so that he was borne perforce talk
earth and after that he could not beagi
relie^-ed. Some of his knights and sq^j
followed him, but not all^for it wasffl^
and no light but by the shining ^^^
moon. The Englishmen knew weQ Af
had borne one down to the earth, bat Af
I wist not who it was ; for if they had bjj
I that it had been the earl Douglas, the| ■
been thereof so joyful and so prood IP
j the victory had been theirs. Nor also J
' Scots knew not of that adventure tiS B
' end of the battle ; for if they had knonj
they should have been so sore despij
and discouraged that they would havevj
awav. Thus as the earl Douglas wastiU
to the earth, he was stricken into tbe^
^'ith an axe, and another stroke tbaf
the thigh : the Englishmen passed fcv
and took no heed of him : tney thfl^
none otherwise but that they had swaj
man of arms. On the other part the*
George de la March and of Dunbar fwp
right valiantly and gave the Englisb*
much ado, and cried, 'Follow Doo^
and set on the sons of Percy : also <•
. John of Moray with his banner and ^
fought valiantly and set fiercely (A V
Englishmen, and gave them so mndito*
that they wist not to whom to attend.
CHAPTER CXL [CXLHl
How in this battle sir Ralph Percy was ^
hurt and taken prisoner by a SoodP
knight
Of all the battles and encounterings tbatj
have made mention of herebefore in »
this history-, great or small, this battle tW
I treat of now was one of the s(vest a»
best foughten without cowardice or w*
hearts. For there was nother knight a*
squire but that did his devoir and foa|^
hand to hand : this battle was like v
battle of Becherel,^ the which was vaUin4
1 Or, according to anodier reading, ' QaSee^
BATTLE OF OTTERBVRN
ired. The ear] of Norlhum-
sir Henry und sir Ralph
e chief sovereign captains,
iselves nobly, anil sir Ralph
!□ %o far among his enemies
)Se<] in and hurt, and so sore
lis breath was so short, that
prisoner by a knight of the
^ called sir John Maxwell.
he Scottish knight demanded
for it was in the night,
him not, and sir Ralph
ne and bled f^t, that at
a Ralph Percy." Then the
X Ralph, rescue or no rescni
nypnEoner: lam Maxwell,
sir Ralph, • I am content
heed to me, for I am son.
and my greaves are full of
the knight saw by him the
1 said : 'Sir, here I deliver
ph Percy as prisoner ; but,
Kd be taken to him, for he
The earl was joyliil of these
1: 'Maxwell, thou hast well
*.' Then he delivered sir
to certain of hi* men, and
and wrapped his wounds :
iWtle endured, not knowing
Bi the better, for there were
td rescued again that came
spealt of the young James
g^ who did marvels in arms
iten down. When he was
e press was great about him,
i not relieve, for with an axe
death's wound. His men
U near as they could, and
him sir James Lindsay his
fohn and sir Waller Sinclair
[hts and squires. And by
entle knight of his, who
til the day, and a chaplain
ta priest but like a vdinnt
IT all that night he followed
good axe in his hands and
Id about the earl thereas he
d back some of the English-
•trokes that he gave. Thus
fehting near to his master,
o great praise, and thereby
Iw was made archdeacon of
llis priest was called sir
nh Berwick \ he was a tall
man and a hardy and was s<
re hurl.
When these knights came to the
carl, they
found him in an evil case and a
knight of
place and
other. Then sir John Sinclair demanded
of the earl how he did. ' Bight evil,
cousin,' quoth the earl, 'but thanked be
God there hath been but a few of mine
ancestors that hath died in their beds : but,
cousin, I require you think to revenge me,
for I reckon myself but dead, for my heart
faintelh oftentimes. My couan Walter and
you, I pray you raise up again my banner
which lieth on the ground, and my squire
Davie CoUemine slain : but, sirs, shew
nother to friend nor foe in what case ye see
me in ; for if mine enemies knew it, they
would rejoice, and our friends discom-
forted.' The two brethren of Sinclair and
sir James Lindsay did as the earl had
desired them and raised up again hi^
banner and cried ' Douglas ! ' Such as
were behind and heard that cry drew
together and set on their enemies valiantly
and reculed back the Englishmen and
many overthrown, and so drave the Eng-
lishmen back beyond the place whereas
the earl lay, who was by that time dead,
and so came to the earl's banner, the which
sir John Sinclair held in his hands, and
many good knights and squires of Scotland
about him, and still company drew to the
cry of 'Douglas.' Thither came the earl
Moray with his banner well accompanied.
CHAPTER CXLI [CXLV]
How the Scots won the Iwllle aKainsi
Englishmen beside Ollerbum, and tl:
was taken prisoneia sir Heniy and
Ralph Percy, and how an English sqi
would not yield him, no more wouli
Scottish squire, and so died both ; i
how the bishop of Durham and his cc
pany were discomfited among themaelvi
To say truth, the Englishmen were so
travailed than the Scots, for ihey came
day from Ncwcaalle-upon-Tyne,
376
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
six English miles, and went a great pace to
the intent to find the Scots, which they did :
so that by their fast going they were near
out of breath, and the Scots were fresh and
well rested, which greatly availed them
when time was of their business : for in the
last scrimmish they reculed back the Eng-
lishmen in such wise, that after that they
could no more assemble tc^ether, for the
Scots passed through their battles. And
it fortune<l that sir Henry Percy and the
lord of Montgomery, a valiant knight of
Scotland, fought together hand to hand
right valiantly without letting of any other,
for every man had enough to do. So long
they two fought that per force of arms sir
Henry Percy was taken f>risoner by the
said lord of Slontgomery.
The knights and squires of Scotland, as
sir Marc Adreman,^ sir Thomas Erskine,
sir William, sir James and sir Alexander
Lindsay, the lord of Fenton, sir John of
Saint-Moreaulx,' sir Patrick of Dunbar,
sir John and sir Walter Sinclair, sir John
Maxwell, sir Guy Stuart, sir John Hali-
burton, sir Alexander Ramsay, Robert
Collemine* and his two sons John and
Robert, who were there made knights,
and a hundred knights and squires that I
cannot name, all these right valiantly did
acquit themselves. And on the English
party, before that the lord Percy was taken
and after, there fought valiantly sir Ralph
Lumley, sir Matthew Redman, sir Thomas
Ogle, sir Thomas Gray, sir Thomas Hel-
t«.)n, sir Thomas Abingdon, sir John Lille-
burn, sir William Walsingham, the baron
of Helton, sir John of Colpcdich,* the
seneschal of York and divers other foot-
men. Whereto should I write long pro-
cess? This was a sore battle and well
foughten ; and as fortune is always change-
able, though the Englishmen were more
in numl>er than the Scots and were right
valiant men of war and well expert, and
that at the tirst front they reculetl back the
Scots, yet finally the Scots obtained the
place and \-ictor}', and all the foresaid
Kr.g'iishmen taken, and a hundred more.
<avir.i: <ir Maiiliew Retiman, captain of
Berwick, who when he knew no remetly
1 Fcrhar? ' M.\'oo'in Drumir.or.ci.'
- The true reacir.i: i^ecms to l^ * Sandilands.'
"* Terh-ips " Cor.'.r.jihiin."
* L::hcr * Ccpewnd ' ur * Copeliiikc'
nor recoverance, and saw hk oonpi^
from the Scots and yielded them oo
side, then he took nis hoise and
to save himselfl
The same season about the end of
discomfiture there was an English
called Thomas Waltham, a goodlf
valiant man, and that was weUseeB,fa
all that night he would notber flf ■>
yield him. It was said he had flBidei'
at a feast in England, that tbe ficti
that ever he saw Englishmen andSob^
battle, he would so do his devcir M
power, in such wise that either be *
be reputed for the best doer on bo* lijl
or else to die in the pain. Hewu^Jj]
a valiant and a hardy man and did vm\
by his prowess, that under the bfl**
the earl of Moray he did sochnlii**
in arms, that the Scots had mandtiM
and so was slain in fighting: the Sp
would gladly have taken himali««»''"'|
would never yield, he hoped c»ff ^^
been rescued. And with him *^^Jj
\ Scottish squire slain, cousin to ^.^Ja
i Scots, called Simon Glendowyn;"***
was greatly complained of the Scfl^ -o
This battle was fierce and cnid»J|
! came to the end of the discomft'"*'^
when the Scots saw the EiiglishineB*J|
and yield themselves, then the Scott
courteous and set them to their »•{?■
and ever}' man said to his pcisootf • ^
go and unarm you and take 7^^
I am your master ' : and so ^^^^
■ prisoners as good cheer as thoogh u>^
been brethren, without doing to ^y^
damage. The chase endurra * "'* -j
lish miles, and if the Scots had ^^
enow, there had none scaped, ^ijjl
cmsed
tominai
awn tl
the tow-
on thei
fliemsel
departet
seven t
lack ar
their wc
battle h
bad gon
bigs can
fehting
Bshopre
»Ore fly;
bieatli.
the matte
*% e^
cwneth i
tidings tn
todouut.
came flyi
*hefficni
rf these
achviis
that the
that if tt
Dttmber,
tbcer.tei
■teiso;
The'
English
they had been taken or slain.
Archambault Douglas and the — ,^
Fife, the earl Sutherland and oth* rj
great company who were gone 'JS
^ Carlisle had been there, by all li^***2
] they had taken the bishop of Duih*^ j
the to^^Ti of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. »^
shew you how. The same evening th>*^
Percics departed from Newcastle, ^V^jk
heard l-iefore, the bishop of I^^jj
the rearband came to Newcastle ands»p¥*
I and as he sat at the table, he had imagi^
' in himself how he did not acquit hiiB^
I well to see the Englishmen in the fidd**
I he to be within the town. Incontineot^
mandec
ofsirx
%w
Jeirhi
^%.
"toiliiiio
?lto
Hone a
lliefe,
i^y.
liiiiips
Wtati
V
r
BATTLE OF OTTEKBURN
377
the table to be taken away and
uided to saddle his horses and la
the trumpets, and called up men in
■»n to arm themselves and to mount
iir horses, and foot-men to order
lives to depart. And thus every man
ed out of the town to the number of
thousand, two thousand on horse-
«nd live thousand afoot ; they took
vay toward Olteibum, whereas the
had been. And by that time they
3ne two mile ' from Newcastle lid-
ame to them how their men were
g with the Scots. Therewith the
rested there, and incontinent came
Bying fast, that they were out of
Then th^ were demanded how
tter went. They answered and said ;
evil ! we be ail discomfited : here
the Scots chasing of us." These
troubled the Englishmen, and began
t. And again the third time men
ying as fast as they might. When
1 of the bishopric of Durham heard
' evil tidings, they were abashed in
se that they brake their array, so
liishop could not hold together the
of five hundred. If was thought
fie Scots had followed them in any
seeing that it was night, that in
ring into the town, and Se English-
al>ashed, the town had been won.
tiishop of Durham, being in the
i*i good will lo have succoured the
men and recomforted his men as
s he could ; but he saw his own
as well as other. Then he de-
coimsel of sir William Lucy and
homas Clifford and of other ktughts,
as best to do. These knighls for
^xiour would give him no counsel ;
y thought lo return again and do
\ should sown greatly lo their blame,
go forth might be to their great
e J and so stood still and would give
inswer, and the longer they stood,
"er they were, for some still stale
Then the bishop said : ' Sirs, all
considered, it is none honour to put
peril, nor to make of one evil damage
We hear how our company be dis-
led, and we cannot remedy it : for to
recover Ihcm, we know not with
« word * lieue ' la tnuiaUttd ' mile ' through-
whom nor with what number we shall meet
Lei us return fair and easily for this night
to Newcastle, and to-morrow let us draw
together and go look on our enemies.'
Every man answered: 'As God will, so
be it.' Therewith they returned to New-
castle. Thus a man may consider the
great default that is in men that be abashed
and discomfited : for if they had kept them
together and have turned again such as
fled, they had discomfited the Scots. This
was the opinion of divers ; and because
they did not thus, the Scots had the victory.
CHAPTER CXL!I [CXLVI]
How sir Matthew Redman departed from
the battle to save himself; and bow sir
James Lindsay was taken prisoner by the
bishop of Durham ; and bow after the
battle seurrers were sent forth to discover
the country.
I SHALL shew you of sir Matthew Redman,
who was on horseback to save himself, for
he alone could not remedy the matter. At
his departing sir James Lindsay was near
to him and saw how sir Matthew departed,
and this sir James, to win honour, followed
in chase sir Matthew Redman, and came
so near him that he might have stricken
him with his spear, if he had list. Then
he said: 'Ah, sir knight, turn; it is a
shame thus to fly : I am James of Lindsay ;
if ye will not turn, I shall strike you on the
back with my spear.' Sir Matthew spake
no word, but stralte his horse with the
spurs sorer than he did before. In this
manner he chased him more than three
miles, and at last sir Matthew Redman's
horse foundered and lell under him. Then
he stepc forth on the earth and drew out
his sword, and took courage to defend him-
self ; and the Scot thought to have stricken
him on the breast, but sic Matthew Red-
man swerved from the stroke, and the
spear-point entered into the earth. Then
str Matthew strake asunder the spear with
his sword i and when sir James Lindsay
saw how he had lost his spear, he cast
away the truncheon and lighted afoot, and
took a little battle-axe that he carried at
his back and handled it with his one hand
quickly and deliveriy, in the which feat ,
378
THE CHROmCLES OF FffO/SSJffT
I
I
Scots be well expert, and then he set at
sir Matthew and he defended himself pro-
perly. Thus they tourtieyed locether, one
with an aie and the other with a Eword,
a long season, and no man to let them.
Final^ ai James Lindsay gave the knight
Each strokes and held him so short, tha'
he was put out of breath In such wise tha
he yielded himself and said : ' Sit Jamc
Lindsay, I yield me to you.' 'Well,
quoth he, 'and I receive you, rescue or n<
rescue.' 'I am content, quoth Redman
'su ye deal with me like a good com
pam'on.' 'I shall not fail that,' quot)
Lindsay, and so put up his swotd. ' Well
sir,' quoth Redman, 'what will you Dov
that 1 shall do ? I am your prisoner, yi
have conquered me. I would gladly go
again to Newcastle, and within fifteen days
I shall come to you into Scotland, whereas
ye shall assign me.' ' I am content,' quoth
Lindsay: 'ye shall promise by your bilh
to present yourself within this three weeks
at Edinboro, and wheresoever ye go, to
repute yourself my prisoner.' All this sir
Matthew sware and promised to fulfil.
Then each of them took iheir horses and
•took leave each of other. Sir James re-
turned, and his intent was to go to his own
company the same way that he came, and
sir Matthew Redman to Newcastle.
Sir James Lindsay could not keep the
s dark a
t, and he had not ridden half
but he met face to kce with the bishop
of Durham and more than five hundred
Englishmen with him. He might well
escaped if he had would, but he supposed
it had been his own company, that had
pursued the Englishmen. When he was
among them, one demanded of him what
he was, 'I am,' quoth he, 'sir James
Lindsay.' The bishop heard those words
and stepi to him and said : ' Lindsay, ye
are taken : yield ye to me.' ' Who he
you? 'quoth Lindsay. 'I am,' quoth he,
'the bishop of Durham.' 'And from
whence come you, sir?' quoth Lindsay.
' I come from the battle,' quoth the bishop,
'but I struck never a stroke there : I go
back to Newcastle for this night, and ye
shall go with me." ' I may not choose,'
quoth Lindsay, 'silh ye will have it so. I
have taken and I am taken ; such is the
advenlures of arms.' ' Whom have yc
taken?' quoth the bishop.
he, * I took in the chase sir Matthiir
man.' 'And where is hi '
bishop. ' By my ftiith, sir,
lo Newcastle : he desired me lo ttttt
on his faith for three weeks, aiMl k
done.' 'Well,' quoth the l»shop, '1
go to Newcastle, and there ye shall i
with him.' Thus they rode to New
together, and ar James Lindssy was|n
to the bishop of Durham.
Under the banner of the eari d
March and of Dunbar was taken ft a
of Gascoyne, called John of C
and under the haoner of the cm
Moray was taken his companion Joh
Cantiron. Thus the ^eld was clean am
or the day appeared. The Scots i
together and took guides and seal
scurrers lo see if any men were in ihe
from Newcastle, to the intent thiC
would not he troubled in their la _
wherein they did wisely, for whes
bishop of Durham was come again 10 1
castle and in his lodging, be wit
pensive and wist not what to say dm
for he heard say how his coosiu
Percies were slain or taken, and lU
knights that were with them. TlM
sent for all the knights and squird
were in the town ; and when they
come, he demanded of them if they sll
leave the matter in that case, and I
' Sirs, we shall bear great blame if we
return without looking on our ~
Then they concluded by the I
every man to be armed, and on '■
and afoot to depart out of the town K
go to Otterbnm to iighl with the S
This was warned through the lowft
trumpet, and every man armed tbem
assembled before the bridge, and tr
sun-rising they departed by the gal
wards Berwick and took the w»jr W
Olterburn to the numlxn' of ten ihoa
what afoot and a-horseback. Tbgr
not gone past two mile from Nn
when the Scots were signified Ih
bishop of Durham was coming to
ward lo fight : this ihey knew lit
spies, such as ihey had set in the God
After thai sir Matthew Redmuiin
med to Newcastle and had shew
vers how he had been l^en p
' James Lindsay, then it was sbewtd
AFTER THE BATTLE OF OTTERBUKN
379
&OW the bishop of Ducham bad taken the
raid sir James Litidsay and how that he
faere in the town as his prisoner. As s
L5 the bishop was departed, sii Matthew
i^edman went to the bishop's lodging to sei
K.is master, and there he found him in \
ludy, Ifing in a window,* and said
What, sir Janies Lindsay, what make yoi
»ere ? ' Then sir James came forth of the
Vudy to him and gave him good morrow,
ind said : ' By my faith, sii Matthew, for-
'■jiie hath brought mc hither ; for as soor
LS I was departed from you, I met by
:liancB the bishop of Durham, to whom '
Lin prisoner, as ye be to me. I believe J
lla.ll not need to come to Edinboro to m
'd make your finance : I think rather w
liall make an exchange one for anothei
«■ the bishop be so content' 'Well, sir.
I^uoth Redman, 'we shall accord right well
'Vigether, ye shall dine this day with m' -
lie bishop and our men be gone forth
ight with your men, I cannot tell what
liall fall, we shall know at their return.'
I am content to dine with you,' quoth
l^indsay. Thus these two knights dined
^jgether in Newcastle.
When the knights of Scotland wei
c:>riiied how the bishop of Daiham i
»n them with ten thousand men, they drew
■1 couDCil to see what was best for them to
Lo, other to depart or else to abide the
-Jvenlitre. All things considered, they
oncluded to abide, for they said they
r«uld not he in a better nor a stronger
Blacc than they were in already ; they had
Kiany prisoners and they could not carry
■lem away, if they should have departed ;
-■ud also they had many of their men hurt
-nd also some of their prisoners, whom
■ley thought they would not leave behind
fcem. Thus they drew together and
fcTdered so their field, that there was no
=utry but one way, and they set all their
fciisoneia ti^etherand made them to promise
■-flw that, rescue or no rescue, they should
*< their prisoners. After that they made
lH their minstrels to blow up all at once
^xid made the greatest revel of the world.
— ighlly it is the usage of Scots, that when
*^y be thus assembled tc^lhet in arms.
the foot-men beareth about their necks
horns in manner like hunters, some great,
some small, and of all sorts, so that when
they blow all at once, they make such a
noise, that it may be heard nigh four miles
off: thus they do to abash their enemies
and to rejoice themselves. When the
bishop of Durham with his banner and ten
thonsand men with him were approached
within a league, then the Scots blew their
horns in such wise, that it seemed that all
the devils in hell had been among them,
so that such as heard them and knew not
of their usage were sore abashed. This
blowing and noise endured a long space
and then ceased : and by that time the
Englishmen were within less than a mile.
Then the Scots began to blow again and
made a great noise, and as long endured
as it did before. Then the bishop ap-
proached with his battle well ranged in
good order and came within the sight of
the Scots, as within two bow-shot oi less :
then the Scots blew again their horns a
long space. The bishop stood still to see
what the Scots would do and aviewed them
well and saw how they were in a strong
ground greatly to their advantage. Then
the bishop took counsel what was best lor
but all things well advised,
they were not in purpose to enter in amorg
the Scots to assail them, but returned with-
1 well
ley mighl
When 1
the Scots saw the Englishmen
recule and that they should have no battle,
hey went to their lodgings and made merry,
nd then ordained to depart from thence.
And because that sir Ralph I'ercy was sore
he desired of his master that he might
n to Newcastle or into some place,
whereas it pleased him, unto such tune as
(ere whole of his hurts, promising, as
as he were able to ride, to return into
Scotland, other to Edinboro or into any
other place appointed. The earl of March,
under whom he was taken, agreed thereto
and delivered him a horse litter and sent
him away ; and by like covenant divers
other knights and squires were suffered to
and look term other to return or
pay their finance, such as they were
appointed unto. It was shewed me by the
mformation of the Scots, such as had been
this said battle that was between New-
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
cutle and Ollerbum in Ihe yeu of aar
Lord God a thousand three hundred four-
score and eight, the ninetecRlh day of
August, how that there were taken pri-
aoners of the English party a thousand and
foity men, one and other, and slain in the
field and in the chas: eighteen hundred
and forty, and sore hurt more than a thou-
sand ; Mid of the Scots there were a hun-
dred slain, ami taken in the chase more
than two hundred ; for as the Englishmen
fled, when they saw any advantage they
retamed again and fought : by that means
the Scots were taken and none otherwise.
Every man may well consider that it was a
well fought Held, when there were so many
slain and taken on both parties.
CHAPTER CXLIII [CXLVII]
How the Scots departed and carried with
them the earl Douglas dead, and buried
him in the abbey of Melrose ; and how sir
Archambault Douglas and his company
departed from before Carlisle and returned
into Scotland.
After this battle thus finished, every man
returned,' and the earl Douglas' dead body
chested and hud in a chare, and with him
sir Robert Hart and Simon Glendowyn,
then they prepared to depart : so they
departed and led with them sir Henry Percy
and more than forty knights of England,
and took the way to the abbey of Melrose.
At their departing they set lire in their
lodgings, and rode alt the day, and yet lay
that night in the English ground ; none
denied them. The next day they dislodged
early in the morning and so came that day
to Melrose. It is an abbey of black monks
on the border between both realms. There
they rested and buried the earl James
Douglas. The second day after his
obsequy was done reverently, and on his
body laid a tomb of stone and his banner
hanging over him. Whether there Here
as then any more earls of Douglas, to
whom the land returned, or not, I cannot
tell 1 for I, sir John Froissart, author of
this book, was in Scotland in the earl'
castle of Dalkeith, living eari Williai
in had n
'After
, 'Afitr
«>■ done (ad ew^rthinj wu galbered loguber.'
which time he had two children, i s
a daughter ; but after there were c
the Douglases, for I have kbi
brethren, all squires, bearing tk UV<
Douglas, in the king of Scotlaml'i
David : they were sons to a kn^
land called sir James Douglas, u
bare In ihetr aims gold, three oreilbl
but as for the heritage, I koo» »* -_
had it : as for sir ArcEomtauk D^'Cift
whom I have spoken before in tbis |^Jn
in divers places, who was a vallaal^^V
and greatly redoubted of the Eo©**^ 1
he was but a bastard. ^
When these Scots had been at-.;!
abbey and done there all that t-^^^^
thither for, then they deputed ^^^
other and went into theu own ' ■«
and such as had prisoners, some c
away with them and some were
and suffered to return. Thus tl
men found the Scots right court
gentle In their deliverance and i:
that they were well content.
shewed me in the coDDtry of Bei_
carl of Foix's house by a knight nan:*
of Chateauneuf, who was t^en pr^*
the same journey under the bann^^;
earl of March and Dunbar : and h» ^v
praised the said earl, for he suffere"''^^
pass in manner as he desired hinu^^*
Thus these men of war of Scol^
parted, and ransomed their pris^^^
soon as they might right courteoi*'*
so returned little and little into tfc*''
countries. And it was shewed m^ '"
believe it well, that the Scots had >ry'°»
of that journey two hundred th"""
franks for ransoming of prisoners : ^^
the battle that was ^fore Stirlli^ in ^J
land, whereas ar Kobert of Brow ■]
William Douglas, sir Robert Veni, »
Simon Ftaser and other Scots chistd^
Englishmen three days, they nevo W
journey so profitable nor so honomiblth
ihem, as this was. When tidings tsiK*
the other company of the Scots thai"*
beside Carlisle, how their corapaiiyhadto
Ire,ssed the Englishmen beside Ottertw
they were greatly rejoiced, and displaw
in their minds that they had not been tbni
Then they determined to dislodge arf'
draw into their own countries, seeing th:
other company were withdrawn, Th
they dislodged and entered into Scotlui
let us leave to speak of the Scots
the Englishmec for this time, and
;tumtothe young Chailes of France,
th a great people went into Almaine,
5 the duke of Gaeldtes to reason,
n the Fiencb king and alt his annj'
ir of Meuse at the bridge
s were lieforc, beating woods and
and making the ways plain. The
f Juliers and his country greatly
I the coming of the French king,
■ knew well they should have the
lult and beat the first burden : and
I of Juliers is a plain country ; in
the men of war should do much
there, and destroy and waste all,
lie castles and good towns. Thus
ich kii^ entered into the country
mbourg and came to an abbey,
Wenceslas sometime duke of
was buried. There the king
t^vo days : then he departed and
way through Bastogne, and lodged
1 le^ue whereas the duchess of
lay. She sent word of her being
• the duke of Burgoyne, and he
tier into the field to speak with
i, who receired her light honour-
<i there communed together. Then
:hess returned to Bastogne, and
she was conveyed with sur John of
and sit Guy of Tremouille ; and
It (lay the king went forward, ap-
.ng to the land of his enemies, and
0 the entering into Almaine, on the
rs of the duchy of Juliers. But or
le ao far forward, Arnold bishop of
had been with the king and had
entreated for the duke of Juliers,
e king should not be miscontent with
lough he were father to the duke of
es ; for he excused him of the
e that his son had made, afhrming
was not by his knowledge nor con-
■herefore, he said, it were pity that
her should bear the default of the
This excuse was not sufficient to the
ir to his uncles : for the intent of the
nd his council was, without the
f Juliers would come and moke other
■ of excuse, and to yield himself to
b's pleasure, his country should be
'■■ M should bear the burden. Then
Ulutsli
the bishop of Li^e and the lords of Hes-
baing and the councils of the good towns
olTered to the king and his coundl wholly
the bishopric of Liege for his army to pass
and repass paying for their expenses, and
to rest and refresh them there as long as it
pleased Ihetn. The king thanked them,
and so did his uncles, and would not refuse
their oifer, for he knew not what need be
should have after.
CHAPTERS CXLIV, CXLV
[CXLVUI, CXLIX]
SUMMARY. — The duke <i/ Juliers,
alarmed by the advatue of the king of
/•ranee, came and exctistd hiiiisetf, as not
apprmiiiig the conduct of his son the duke
of Cueldres, and by his means the dahe of
Gueldres iiias persuaded to disauirm his
letter of defance: and so the king of franee
relumed.
CHAPTER CXLVI [CL]
SUMMAR Y.—The taH of Arundel -adtk
the English feet had come to land neat
Roihelle : then hearing that sir Louis of
Sancerre was coming thither to ^ght with
him, he put to sea and caiai to Bordeaux,
The duke of Lancaster contracted his
daughter to the son of the king of Castile.
The French king took upon himself the
government, being more than twenty years
if age, and kept Ike fiast of All Saints at
Rheims.
Sir John de Vienne went as ambassador
to the king of Castile to warn him against
an English alliance.
SUMMARY.— The dtike of Berry proposed
amarriagefirst for his son and then for him-
self with the young lady Jam of Boulogne,
mho had been broiight up by the earl of Foix.
Geoffrey TSte-Noire, besieged in Venta-
dour, made his will and died, appointing a
captain in his stead.
The duke of Gueldres was taken prisoner
in Prussia, and being delivered by the grand
master of Prussia, returned to keep fcdth
with his (optors.
382
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
CHAPS. CXLIX-CLI [CLIII-CLV]
SUMMAR Y,— Sir John de Vienne received
his answer from the king of Castile^ that
the intended marriage would not prejwlice
the alliance "unth France.
The earl of Arttndel with the English
fleet returned home.
The duchess of Lancaster went with her
daughter into Spain.
The marriage took place of the duke of
Berry with the young lady of Boulogfie^ at
which the author wets present.
CHAPTER CLH [CLVI]
SUA/MARY. — A peace 7vas agreed to for
three years between England and France y to
incltide allies on both sides.
The author thus continues : —
In this time great bruit was in France
and in other places of a great feast and
jousts that the young king Charles would
make at Paris at the first entering of Isabel
the P>ench queen, against which feast
knights, squires, ladies and damosels ap-
parelled them to be at that triumph. Of the
which feast I shall speak more hereafter,
and of the charter of the peace that was
engrossed and sealed between the parties.^
Ye shall know that when I, sir John
Froissart, author of this history, was de-
parted from Orthez from the earl of Foix,
as ye have heard herebefore, and went in
company with the lord de la Kiviere and
the lord Guilliam of Tremouille, who
brought the young duchess of Berry,
daughter to the earl of Boulogne, to the
duke of Berry, who wedded her in the
town of Riom in Auvergne, as it is con-
tained herebefore in this history ; for at all
these matters I was present, wherefore I
may well speak thereof. And when I
came to Paris, I found there the gentle
lord of Coucy, a good lord of mine, who
had newly married a young lady, daughter
to the duke of Lorraine ; which lord made
1 Here ends the third book of the Chronicles, and
after this in the fuller text there comes the prologue
to the fourth book, which in the text followed by
the translator is placed (in a shortened form) con-
siderably later, to suit the division into volumes ;
see chap. 187 [191] of the translation, where the
* — ►H volame of the early printed editions begins.
illthe
Saint-
king I,
tasg,
aould
It the
■
Qmy
Karche
while I
conno:
Ihada
Idema
8rMel
^be(
Jiffies a
Of the
me good cheer and demanded of bk
of the country of Foix and Beui^a'
pope Clement, being at Avignoo, inl tf i
marriajp;e between Boiy and fiod(f4
and of another great friend of mitt ^
food lord and master, the earl Befli|i
)olphin of Auvergne ; and to aD la '
mands I answered all that I knew, n
he was content. Then he desired ■
go with him into Cambresis, to 1
that the king had given him called'
coeur, a two leagues from Camhif
nine leagues from Valenciennes. A
I rode in his company. And at ve
by the way, he shewed me how the li
of Bayeux and the earl of Saint-Pol -
other were at Boulogne, sent thiltej ^^^^
the French kiiig to conclude the trwM^i of ^^^
how that for king Richard king of&^fg ^ p^,
there were at Calais the bishop of D>* I \ta,;^^
and the earl of SaUsbury with otha; •I aw sin
how they had been there the space [(fl>*| fint ^^
than a month abiding for the ambasav
of Scotland, who were as then ncwhf «•
thither. He said how his cousin the jj
of Saint- Pol had written to himtho*
and how the French king had sent to*
king of Scots and to his council ^ .
should agree to the truce, for theEnP*! The$
men would consent to no peace wilW|tl|(.y^
the Scots were comprised m the 9* I kan^rc
Thus we rode till we came to CiW«oJ I \ p^^
and there I was with him three #|»JS5^
Then I took leave of him and '^l^iii
Valenciennes, and there I tarried fi»*lttjilei
days. Then I went into Holland, to*j^e,
a gentle lord and good master of ■* 1 tlfc oi
the earl of Blois, and found him at Sdi*
hove. He made me good cheer and* ■ aid i
manded of me some tidings, and I shc«» I htelv
him such as I knew. I tarried withl»»' I it'4
month there and at Goude. Thenl*liiig(
turned into France to know the truth " | pee
the conclusion that was taken bettrt*
England and France at Lelinghen. Al»
I purposed to be at the feast that shoddl*
at Paris at the entry of the French queA
to know the truth of all these matters. 1
returned through Brabant, and so camet*
Paris eight days before the feast begs*
Then I fell in company with the lords i
France and of Scotland, such as had betf
at the making of the truce between Eng-
land and France, and I fell in acquaintance
with sir Guilliam of Melun, who ^ewedme
Hi;
ENTRY OF THE QUEEN INTO J'AKIS, i
and how the eail of of Nevers, Ihe lady of Coucy, and other
I aad (t
i for three yeais, and that he
n again to lie at the said great
F Then 1 demanded of the said sir
^m what lords of Scotland had been
id treaty. I demanded it because
■ youth I had been in Scotland and
' ill the realm to the wild Scots : and
as thEie< I tarried a space in the
ing David of Scotland, and there
cqiuuD.tance of the most part of Ihe
id kn^hts of Scotland. Therefore
eded who had been there ; and this
in answered roe and said how there
n the bishop of Aberdeen and sir
id ail David LJndsay and sir Walter
I bare his saying away, and
It io writing all that I had seen and
i shall shew the truth what I
1 knew of this feast and of the
l£ of queeo Isabel into Paris.
[AFTER CLIII [CX.VII]
day the twentieth day of June in
'' IT Lord Cod a thousand three
core and nine there was people
d without such number that it
to behold ; and the same Sun-
_ momirig there was assembly
le church of Saint Denis of noble
:e, such as should accompany
id of such lords as should
:n's litters and other ladies' ;
s of the burgesses of Paris
I d an-hotsebaek ranged in the
n both sides of the way, apparelled
suit of cloth of Iraudkin,
iOD, And the old queen
d her daughter, duchess of Orleans,
first into Paris one hour before
0. litter covered, well accompanied
ds, and passed through the high
"aint Denis and so rode to the
there tarried for the king ; that
.wo ladies went no further.
he French queen and the other
forward, as the duchess of Berry,
.ess of Burgoyne, the duchess of
>, the duchess of Bar, the conntos
and damosels all in good order
theii litters were apparelled as richly as
might be ; but the duchess of Touraine
had no litter, she rode alone upon a fair
palfrey richly apparelled, and she lode on
the one side by the- queen's litter, and it
was assisted with the duke of Touraine and
the duke of Bourbon at the fore head on
both sides, and in Ihe midst on both sides
the litter were the duke of Berry and the
duke of Bui^oyue, and at the feet was the
lord Peter of Navarre and the earl of
OstrenavanI : the queen's litter was richly
apparelled and discovered. Then next
followed on a rich apparelled palfr^ the
duchess of Berry, and ^e was assisted with
the earl de la Marche and with the earl of
Nevers, and she riding a soft pace between
them both. Then followed the litter all
discovered and open of the duchess of
Burgoyne and Marraret of Hainault her
daughter, countess of Nevers. That litter •
was assisted with the lord Henry of Bar
and the young earl of Namur called sir
Guilliam. And then the lady of Orleans
on a palfrey richly apparelled, and the lord
James of Bourbon and the lord Philip
d'Artois assisted the lady of Orleans. Then
another litter with the duchess of Bar and
Ihe daughter of the lord of Coucy.^ Of
other ladies and damosels that came after
in charinls and palfreys, and knights that
followed, therewos no mention made. And
as for sergeants and officers of arms, had
business enough to do to make way and
to break the press. There was such people
in the streets that it seemed that all the
world had been there.
At the first gate of Saint Denis entering
into Paris there was a heaven made full of
stars, and within it young children ap-
parelled like angels sweetly singing, and
among them an image of nur Lady holdine
in figure a little child' playing by himself
with a little mill made of a great nut : this
1 Marie, dau^httr oi the Hre de Djucy, vru
dauehter-in-lAw of dieduchcuaf Bar, Ehereforetbe
is condeion«l by Letienhove (in. 1150) on tbe
ground ihal Ihe daughter of the sire de Cnucy
could not be bIm the daughler of the ducheas of
li ''Holding^ in figure her liiUe child': that is,
384
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
heaven was high and richly apparelled
with the arms of France, with a banner of
the sun shining of gold, casting his rays ;
this was devised by the king ^ for the feast
of the jousts. The queen and the other
ladies, as they passed under in at the gate,
they had ereat pleasure to behold it, and
so had all other that passed by. Then
when the queen and the ladies were passed
by, then they came a soft pace before the
fountain in the street of Saint Denis, which
conduit was covered over with a cloth of
fine azure painted full of flower-de-luces of
gold, and the pillars were set full of the
arms of divers noble lords of France ; and
out of this fountain there issued in great
streams piment and claret, and about this
fountain there were young maidens richly
apparelled, with rich chaplets on their
heads, singing melodiously, great pleasure
it was to hear them, and they held in their
hands cups and goblets of gold, offering
* and giving to drink all such as passed by ;
and the queen rested there and regarded
them and had great pleasure of that device,
and so did all other ladies and damosels
that saw it.
Then after, under the minster of the
Trinity in the street there was a stage and
thereupon a castle, and along on the stage
there was ordained the pass of king Saladin'
and all their deeds in personages,' the
Christen-men on the one part and the
Saracens on the other part, and there was
in personages all the lords of name that of
old time had been armed and had done
any feats of arms at the pass of Saladin,
and were armed with such armour * as they
then used. And then a little above them
there was in personages the French king
and the twelve peers of France armed with
the blason of tneir arms. And when the
French queen's litter was come before this
stage, she rested there a season. Then the
personage on the stage of king Richard*'
departed from his company and went to the
French king and demanded licence to go
and assail the Saracens ; and the king gave
him leave. Then king Richard returned
^ ' Which was the device of the king.'
2 ' Le Pas du roy Salhadin,' i.e. the fight with
Saladin.
* By representation of actors.
4 n- <~>ther, * wearing such coats of arms.'
who represented king Richard on
to his twelve * companions : then thqfj
set them in order and incontinent went*
assailed the king Saladin and the Saiaoes
There in sport there seemed a great bw
and it endured a good space : thispagti^
was well r^rarded.
Then the queen passed forth and aj
to the second gate of Saint Denis,"
there was a castle ordained as was J •
first gate and a heaven clouded and ftJJ
stars richly devised, and theremtheW
of God sitting in majesty, the Father, J
Son and the Holy Ghost, and withjDJ
heaven children in figure of J^S^^^Sj!
singing, which pageant was P^^^^ ^S
And as the queen^ litter passed ^^
gate of Paradise, there were ^^ ^^^
came out and came down holdi^^^^
hands a rich crown of gold gaT^^g
precious stones, and they set ^^.^^g^
the crown on the queen's head, s*^^)
sweetly this verse: *Dame, a^ ^^^
closed between the flower-de-J'*^^'
be queen of the realm of Frai^^^
drew again into Paradise.^ '^^^
passed forth and came before tlv- ^
Saint James, and there was a sca^;^
devised on the right hand as the c^^
covered over with rich arras ^^
about with curtains in manner o^ "
ber, and within there were mt
upon organs right sweetly,
street of Saint Denis was cor '^
with cloths of silk and camlet, si
as though such cloths should cosi
And I, sir John Froissart, auth^^
history, was present and saw all
had great marvel where such n""^
cloths of silk were gotten ; ther^.
great plenty as though they had ^
Alisandre or Damas : and all the b^
both sides of the great street of Sai*'^
unto the bridge of Paris were han^^
cloths of Arras of divers histories, tb^'
was pleasure to behold.
Thus they passed forth a soft pace
1 The word ' twelve ' is due to the translaW
2 The lines were these :
* Dame enclose entre fleurs de lis,
Royne estes-vous de Paris,
De France et de tout le pays.
Nous en ralons en paradis.
The last line is mistranslated : it should be gi
part of the angels' song, ' We return to Par
The second line was partly omitted by the
lator, probably because he found the n
' paradis ' for * Paris,' and was puzzled by it.
ENTKV OF THE QUEEN INTO PARIS
385
'1 ame to the gale of ihe Chatelet of
fiiii, and there ihe ijueen rested to see
"ti oihcr goodly device? that were there
"JiJneil. At the gate of the Chalelel
'il I'^s there was a caatle made of tiood
I ini timber, as strongly made as it should
I life fnduted forty years, the which castle
Oi cnbnllled and at every li>op there was
of arms armed at all piet:es ; and in
ne caslte there was a bed made, richly
KnrCiiaed aad apparelled, as it had heen
fb have stood in thE king's chamber, and
bed was called the bri of Justice, and
lis bed there lay by figure Saint Anne.
p Ibis castle there was a plain, for the
b cimlained a great space, and this
s full of trees and full of hares,
d birds, that flew in and out, for
" road they flew thither
B feai of the people. And out of
bes there issued a white hart and
Khe bed of Justice, and out of the
rt of the wood there issued out a
properly, and freshly
t and the bed of Justice.
le there out of the trees a twelve
richly appareEed with
I on their heads, holding
n theu hatids, and they
1 the hart, the lion and the
.1 there they shewed themselves
B defend the hart and the bed of
1 This device the queen and all
Jdgreiit pleasure to r^ard.
K(bey passed forth and came to the
^V Paris, which was covered and
covering of gteen and
K£iI1 of stars and the streets hanged,
'a church. And by that lime
. 31 BJid the ladies were past the
1 approached to the church of
, it was late, for all the way as
1 they rode but a soft pace ; and
een and the ladies entered into
h of Our Lady, they found by
loy otlier plays and pastimes greatly
'.ir pleasure. Among all other there
.1 master came out of Genes : he had
.1 cord on the highest house on the
-.<: of Saint Michael over all the houses,
he other end was tied on the highest
r in Our Lady's church ; and as the
11 passed by, and was in the great
t iratletl Our Lady's street, because it
was late this said master with two hrenning
candles in his hands issued out of a little
stage that he had made on the height of
Our Lady's tower, and singit^ he went
upon the cord all along the great street, so
that all that saw him had marvel how it
might be, and he bare still in his hands
two brenning candles, so that it might well
be seen over all Paris and two mile with-
out Paris : he was such a tumbler that his
lightness was greatly praised.
And before the church of Our Lady the
bishop of Paris was, revested with the arms
of our lord Jesu Christ, with all the college
and great number of other of the clei^.
There the queen alighted out of her litter
and was taken down by the four dukes, that
is to say, the duke of Berry, the duke of
Burgoyne, the duke of Touraine and the
duke of Bourbon, and all other ladies in
like wise taken down by them that were
their assisters, both out of their litters and
from their horses and in good order. So
they entered into the church, the bishop
and the clergy before them, singing in the
honour of God and of our blessed Lady.
The queen was led and assisted and brought
up to the high altar, and there she kneeled
down and said her prayers, such as pleased
her, and offered to the treasury of our Lady
four cloths of cloth of gold and the goodly
crown that the angels did set on her head ;
and then incontinent sir John de la Rivike '
and sir John le Mercier delivered the bishop
of Paris a more richer crown, and the bishop
and the four dukes did set it on the queen s
head. Then they returned again through
the church, and the queen and the ladies
set again in their litters, as they were be-
fore ; there were more than live hundred
torches brenning, for it was late. Thus
they were brought to the palace of Paris,
where the king, the old queen and the
duchess of Orleans ber daughter were.
There the queen and her ladies lighted
from their litters, and each of them brought
into several chambers ; and the lords went
to their lodgings after the dancing was past.
The neit day, Monday, the king made
them all a dinner at his palace, and at the
hour of the high mass the queen was
led with the foresaid four dukes into the
Holy Chapel, and there in the mass season
the queen was sacred and anointed, as a
386
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
queen ought to be, and the archbishop of
Rouen did the observance, who was called
sir William of Vienne. After the mass
sung solemnly the king and the queen re-
turned into their chambers, and all other
ladies such as had chambers in the palace.
Then anon after the king and the queen
returned into the hall, and all other ladies.
The great table of marble that alwa>'s
standeth still in the hall was made longer
with a great plank board of oak of four
inches thick, which board was richly
covered. And alx)ve the great table
against one of the pillars was the king's
dressing -board standing full of vessel of
gold and silver, which was greatly coveted
of many that saw it. Before the table
along descending down there were barriers
made of wood with three alleys, and there
were sergeants and ushers a great number
keeping the entries, to the intent that none
should enter but such as were servitors of
the table ; for the hall was so full of people
that a man could not turn him but with
much pain. Minstrels a great number
pleasantly played, every man after his
faculty. Then the king and the prelates
and the queen and the ladies washed and
sat down at the tables. At the king's table
sat down as chief the bishop of Noyon,
then the bishop of Langres, then the king,
and by the king the archbishop of Rouen.
The king sat in a surcoat of scarlet furred
with ermines and a rich crown of gold on
his head : then the queen, and by her the
king of Armenia, then the duchess of
Berry, then the duchess of Burgoyne and
the duchess of Touraine, then the lady of
Nevers and the good damosel of Bar,^ then
the lady of Coucy and Mary of Harcourt :
no other sat at the high table, saving be-
neath all sat the lady of Sully, wife to
sir Guy of Tremouille. And at two other
tables along down the hall sat more than
five hundred ladies and damosels. The
press was so great that it was great pain to
serve them with their messes, which were
great and notable. I have not to do to
make great process thereof : I shall some-
what speak of the pastimes that were made
between the messes, the which had been a
great pleasure for the king to have seen,
if he had tarried out the whole dinner.
1 The French text has ' ma damoiselle Bonne de
Bar,' but the better reading is ' madame de Bar.*
First, in the midst of the p«lace H
was a castle made of timber forty foot '^J
and twenty foot broad, with four t***^!
every quarter one, and one in t^^^^JI
higher than the other. This ostrjjl
figured for the city of Troy and the "Jj
in the midst for the palace of ^j[W
there were pennons with the arfl* ^ J
Troyans, as of king Priamns, Hed^^l
and his other children, and also ^^^
of such other kings and P"^^us>'^
enclosed in Troy with king ^(^^jl
castle went upon wheels, the "^t^^^,
be turned every way properly. ,^^^
came to assail another sort ^ th^- ^eri^^
by in a pavilion, which also ^[
wheels so softly and covert^ ^ <^
moving thereof could not b^' ^"yt^
and there was the arms of ^^^^i^eilt
Greece and of other such as **'*'^p ^
siege. Also there was a sh -^^ ^
devised, wherein might well be -^ ^j
men of arms, and all moved by jj ^
wheels, both the castle, pavilio^^ ^ ^
They of the pavilion and o^^^^ho
assailed ever tne castle and t^ -^ •'
the castle made great defence
sport endured not long, for th
the people was so sore about thi
man could stir. The people
chafed with the heat and putr
pain. And there was a table by
ment chamber door, whereat
ladies and damosels: it was hj^
the press overthrown to the eart^^ *™j^
ladies caused suddenly to ris^ ^"^
order, and sore chafed with ^^^F"^ i
heat that was in the palace. T»^^^\
herself was at the point to have icasitl
displeased : ^ perforce a back door Jjl
broken up to get fresh air. The li^|
Coucy was sore dis-eased. When the n||
saw this matter, he commanded to cfl*!
and the tables in great haste to betako^l
to let the ladies and damosels at large: tWl
left taking of* wine and spices and irti*^*l
their chambers. Then some of thelaffl*!
tarried still in the palace and some ft*'
into the town to their lodgings, to be^
more at their ease, for with press and f^
1 'Autres gens.' 8 * Mesais^\
8 * Une barriere,* but the better reading is**
verriere,* * a glass window.'
4 ♦ On se ddlivra de donner,' * they made h«*
to serve.'
ENTRY OF THE QUEEN INTO PARIS
3S7
I hen about five of the clock the French
.n, accompanied with the foresaid
ln'.sses, depnrled from the palace of
' < nnd look their litters all open and
"cut through the streets to the king's
.irig. called Saint-Po! on the river of
It,' With the queen there were more
:i 1 thousand horses, and the king went
I the palace to the rivet of Seine and
ii, there n. barge and went by water to
jiii hoH!e of Saint-Pol. And for all that
tbc house was great and large and well
snended, yet the king had caused in tbe
gioi! coait near to the gate from the river
td be made a gieat hall, which was covered
r with cloths of the arms of Norniandy,
ilie walls were hanged with cloths of
r.is of sundry histories. In this hall the
'J gave the ladies a supper j but the
-■.n kept her chamber, she was no more
■ !i that night The other ladies and the
,' :ind tbe lords danced and revelled all
' night, near hand till it was day in the
tiling: then every person departed and
il to their lodgings to sleep, for it was
Aiiiv I shall shew you what gifts and
■ flits they of Paris gave on the Tuesday
ii? noon to the queen and to the
hfis of Toucaine, who WIS but newly
L' into France out of Lorobardy ; for
ivas daughter to the duke of Milan and
'uil the same year wedded Louis duke
T'urMne; she was named Valentine;
li.id never before been at Paris, there-
die burgesses of Paris gave her her
■ irne. On this Tuesday about twelve
iic clock about a forty burgesses of
1. i>f the most notablest periwns of the
. all in one suit of clothing, came to the
.■ -^ house of Saint -Pol and brought a
.111 for the queen through the streets
ins. The present was in a litter richly
^hl and fcorne between two strong
.1 properly apparelled like two ancient
l^ersons,= The litter had a celler of
^I'n fine cloth of silk, so that the jewels
Iiat were in the litter might well be seen
ihmngh. When they came lo Saint-Pol,
> SHiiit-Pol-Iur-Scinc.
' '" Baigc^'btit thji IE H coiruplbn of
tirst they came into the king's chamber,
which was ready Bpparelle<f to receive
them, for always such as bringeth anything
are welcome. Then these burgesses set
down the litter on two tressels in the midst
of the chamber. Then they kneeled down
before the king and said : ' Right dear lord
and noble king, your burgesses of Paris
presenleth yonr grace these jewels here in
this litter in the welcoming of your grace
into the governance of your realm of
France.' Then the king said: 'Good
men, I thank you : they ace right goodly
and rich.' Then the burgesses rose and
drew back and therewith took their leave.
When they were gone, the king said to sir
William of Bordea and to Montague, who
were by him ; ' Sirs, let us go near to this
litter and see these presents more nearer.'
Then the king well regarded them. First
there were four pots of gold, six lavers of
gold and six plates of gold ; ' all this
vessel weighed a hundred and lifly mark
of gold. In like manner another sort of
burgesses richly apparelled all in one livery
came to the queen and presented her
another litter, which was borne into her
chamber, shewing how the good men of
Paris did recommend them to her grace
and sent her th.it present : which present
gold, two dredge-boxes " 1
of gold, six pots gold, six laveis 01 goio,
twelve lamps of silver, two basons of
liver ; the sum was three hundred mark,
lat silver,
litter betwi
of a bear and the other in
semblance of an unicorn. The third
brought into the
duchess of Touiaine's chamber by two men
figured in the form of two black Moors
richly apparelled, with white towels about
their heads like Saracens. The litter was
fair and rich, covered with a fine cloth of silk
and brought by twelve burgesses all in one
apparel, who gave this present to the said
duchess, in the which present there was a
ship of gold, a great jiot of gold, two ewers
' ' ' great plates gold, two salts gold.
388
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
silver, two hundred marks. This present
greatly rejoiced the duchess of Touraine,
as it was reason, for it was goodly and
rich ; and courteously she thanked them of
their gift. Thus this Tuesday these pre-
sents were given to the king, the queen
and to the duchess of Touraine. It was
greatly to be considered the value of these
presents and also the puissance of the
Parisians ; for it was shewed me by one
who saw all these presents that they cost
the Parisians more than threescore thou-
sand crowns of gold. After these presents
thus delivered it was time to go to dinner ;
but that day the king and the queen and
other ladies dined in their chambers, the
sooner to have done, for at three of the
clock at after dinner they should draw into
the field of Saint Katherine, whereas there
was ordained stages and scaffolds a great
number for the king and the queen and
other to behold the jousts.
SUMMARY, — The jousts were held on
this Tuesday and on the following day, and
prizes awarded. On Friday the king gave
a great dinner to the ladies and there was
jousting after it. Then lords afui ladies
took leave of the king and queen and returned
home,
CHAPS. CLIV, CLV [CLVIII, CLIX]
SUMMAR Y,—The truce between England
and Fraftce for three years was confirmed.
The young son of the duke of Anjou, styled
king of Sicily f was married to the daughter
of the king of Ar agon,
CHAPTER CLVI [CLX]
How the French king had desire to go
and visit the far parts of his realm, and
how he went first into Burgoyne and to
Avignon, to see pope Clement.
After this great feast was accomplished
and that every lord and lady were gone
home to their own houses, as ye have heard
herebefore, and that the French king saw
that he had truce with England for three
year, he had then imagination to go and
visit his realm, specially the utward
marches of Languedoc : for the lord de la
Riviere and sir John Mercier, who were
as then chief of his privy council, they ex-
horted him to go to Avignon to see pope
Clement and the cardinals, who desired to
see him, and also to go to Toulouse; fa
they said to the kine : ' Sir, a king in In
youth ou^ht to visit nis realm and to knof
his people and to learn how thej be
governed, the which should be greatly ti
his profit and the better to be bdoid
with his subjects.' The king lighthi-
clined to their counsel, for henad desacH
travel and see new things ; and the kxdi
la Riviere, who was but newly come oi
of those marches, heard great comphflB
of the people of Toulouse, of Carcasscot
and of Beaucaire, and they desired greiti^
to see the king ; for they had been soe
charged with tailles and aids by the dUe
of Berry by the information of a servant cf
his called Betisac, who had pity of no mii^
he so pilled the people that nothing M
left : therefore he counselled the kii^ *
go thither to provide some remedy, vk
also that the kmg should send for ue etfl
of Foix to come to him to Toulouse. He
king made him ready to go thither and sot
afore all the way that provision should be
made for his coming, and sent word thoo'
to his uncle the duke of Bui^oyne and to
his aunt the duchess, how he would coDe
along through their country and would «e
his cousins their children, and to bring ii
his company his brother the duke of
Touraine and his uncle of Bourbon ; wbii
pleased greatly the duke and the dacheSi
and the duke caused to be proclaimed i
feast and a jousts to be holden at D^
and knights and squires of Bui^oyne^ o^
Savoy and of other marches adjoin^
were requured to be at this feast ; and SP
every man ordered themselves accordingi^
Thus whiles the king's provision was i
making to go to Avignon and to LangiK-
doc, the duke of Burgoyne on his part made
great provision to receive the king, and so
did every man in their marches that par*
posed to be at the feast at Dijon. The
same season other matters fell m France
Ye have heard how the duke of Ireland^
who was called earl of Oxford, w»
banished out of England by the uida
of king Richard, and specially the duke
of Gloucester had greatest displeasure to
him, so that to save himself he was fled
into Holland, and tarried there but a small
season in the town of Dordrecht, for be
was fain lo depart thence, for duke Aubcrt,
who was lard of thil town and of Holland,
denied him the larryiog in his connliy ; for
he would not keep him against the will of
his cousins -germans of England ; for a.11
that the king of England had written for
him, yet he was &in to depart and to go to
Ulrecht, a frank town for all manner of
people paying for that they lake ; and the
duke of Ireland had enough to pay, for
beside that he brought with him he had
threescore thousand franks out of France
from the constable for the redemption of
John of Bretayne. And he was come to
the French king under safe - conduct and
was there with him more than a year.
The king made him good cheer, because
he was a stranger ; howbeit, true it was,
though this duke was with the king, yet
the lord of Coucy hated him in his heart,
for he had good cause ; foi though the
duke in all affairs was provided of wit,
honour, eloquence and of great largess,
yet he had greally trespassed against the
lord of Coucy's daughter, who was bis wife
lawfully spoused, and forsook her without
any title of reason, but by false and evil
temptation and deceit was deceived and
took another wife, a damosel of the queen
of England's of the country of Boeme, and
the king and the queen of England sin-
fully consented thereto and he was dis-
pensed by pope Urban of Rome at the
instant desire of the king and queea of
England. This sin grieved greally the
conscience, of the duke of Ireland, and
because the lord of Coucy,' who was of the
council of France and well worthy so to
be, for he had done good service and was
well able to do, be procured so much by
means of his friends, as sir Oliver of
Clisson and the lord de la Riviere, sir
John Mercier and other, that it was said
to the duke of Ireland that he should
depart out of France and to go and choose
himself another place to abide in, where
he list, so that it be not in the realm of
France, and lliither he should surely be
conveyed. The duke of Ireland saw well
how he was daily in peril by means of the
lord of Coucy and his lineage; wherefore
he thought it should be best for him to go
1 'This tio wciEbdl famvily on the duke of
lilnnd bolb In co^sdeI1c>^ end in all other naUcn,
■lid for ihia reason the lord of CoTlcy,' etc.
far off rather than to abide near. Then he
advised him to draw into Brabant, and
desired the king to write lo the duchess of
Brabant, that it would please her to suffer
him peaceably to abide in her country.
The king wrote to his aunt the duchess of
Brabant, and she condescended to the king's
desire. The duke of Ireland was conducted
by men of the king's to Louvain and there
he tarried, and sometime he went lo a
castle not far off from the town of Louvain,
the which he had borrowed of a knight of
Brabant. With the duke of Ireland was
the archbishop of York, who in like wise
was banished out of England, all for one
cause : this bishop was one of the Nevilles
of England, who in the country of Northum-
berland were puissant men both of lands
and lineage. There tarried these two lords
at Louvain or thereabout, as I beard say,
as long as they lived, for they could never
come lo mercy nor peace with the king of
England's uncles : 1 can no further speak
of them.
About the feast of Saint Michael the
French king departed (rom his house of
Beaut^ beside Paris and left there the queen,
and took the way by Troyes in Champagne
to go into Burgoyne, and his uncle the
duke of Bourbon and duke Louis of Tou-
raine and the lord of Coucy and many other
lords and knights in his company. The
king rode so long that he came to Dijon :
the duke of Burgoyne and the eail of
Nevers his son were come before lo the
Chatillon on the river of Seine. When
the king was come lo Dijon, the duchess
of Bui^oyne and the countess of Nevers
her daughter received the king joyfully,
and all other lords for love of the king ; and
lo his welcoming lo Dijon many ladies and
damosels were come thither lo see him.
There was the lady of Sully, the lady of
Verey, the lady of Pagny and divers other
fair ladies and fresh and well apparelled.
Then began feasting, dancing and carolling.
These ladies enforced themselves to dance
of Bourbon and of the lord of Coucy.
Monday, Tuesday and "Wednesday, all
three days, there was goodly jouslj and
piiies given to the best doers. The king
was eight days in the town of Dijon in
great triumph and sport : the tenth di-^ ta
390
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
took leave of his uncle the duke of Bur-
goyne and of the duchess and their children.
The intent of the duke of Burgoyne was
shortly after to follow the king his nephew
and to go with him that journey. The
king departed from Dijon, when he had
taken leave of all ladies and damosels, and
rode so long by his journeys that he came
to Villeneuve beside Avignon. There his
house royal was apparelled for him and
there was the cardinals of Amiens, of Aigre-
feuille, of Saint-Marcel, of Chateau-neuf
and more than thirteen other came and met
the king in the field, and all were glad of
the king's coming.
The duke of Berry was come to Avignon
and lodged in the pope's palace, but he
came to Villeneuve to the king and lay in
the livery of Arras called k Alontais,^ in
the way to Montpellier. The duke of
Burgoyne arrived there the next day that
the king came thither, by the water of
Rhone, for the duke took a barge at Lyon-
sur-le-Rhone. Thus the king and these
four dukes were together : then they
determined to pass the bridge of Avignon
and to go and see the pope ; and about
nine of the clock in the morning the king
passed the bridge accompanied with his
brother and his three uncles and twelve
cardinals, and so went to the pope's palace,
and pope Clement was ready in his chamber
of consistory sitting in his chair of papality.
When the French king came into the
chamber and saw the pope, he inclined
himself, and when he came near, the pope
rose and the king kissed his hand and his
mouth. Then the pope sat down and
caused the king to sit down by him on a
place purposely prepared for him : then
the dukes kissed the pope's hand and sat
down among the cardinals. Anon it was
time of dinner : then they drew into the
pope's great chamber, where the tables
were ready covered. The pope washed
and sat down at a table alone and kept
his estate : the French king sat down at
another table alone, and the cardinals and
dukes sat down in order. The dinner
was plentiful, and after dinner they had
^ ' En la livr<5e d'Arras que on dist k Montais.'
It may be supposed that this was an inn at
Monteaux near Villeneuve, but Lettenhove con-
fesses that he does not understand this use of the
word 'livr^c.*
wine and spices. Then the king and the
four dukes went into their chamben : eick
of them had a chamber apparelled in tk
palace, and there they tarried a certain da]i
The fifth day after that the king one
thither, the young earl of Savoy, cousin to
the king and nephew to the duke of I
Bourbon, came thither : the king m
right joyful of his coming. The Fiack
king, the duke of Touraine his broths
and the earl of Savoy, who were light of
courage and of spirit, though they woe
lodged in the pope's palace near to tk
pope and to the cardiiials, yet for all thit
they would not abstain to dance and to
carol and to make sport among the ladid
and damosels of Avignon, and the eoi
of Geneva, brother to the pope, broo^
them in acquaintance with the ladies m
damosels oi the town. The king giK
great gifts to the ladies and dimosdn
whereby he had great laud and praise.
The pope and the cardinals were vf^
joyful of the king's being there, as it mi
reason that they should so be, for witboit
the love of the French king their pot
should have been but small ; for they cot'
sidered, or ought to have considers, tlitf
there was no king christened that me
obedient to them, except it were for kfR
and &vour and alliance of the Freack
king. The king of Spain and the king of
Scots obeyed this pope Clement, and tk
king of Aragon was but newly so detff-
mined ; and that made the queen Yolaade
of Bar, who was cousin -german to tk
French king, else he had not done so, fa
before the king of Aragon, and his fctks
before him, was as neuter. Therefore tli
pope and cardinals ought well to feast tk
French king, seeing their puissance vk
profit that they lived by to keep th*
estate came by means of the French kiag*
Thus the king tarried there a certain seasoB
in great joy and sport : and for love of tk
king's coming thither, the pope opened 1»
graces to all clerks being in the coat
for the space of a month, and gave tk
nominations to the king of all collies tfid
cathedrals, and to every coll^^e t«o
prebends, and revoked all other graces
before given, and would that the Tang'*
graces should proceed before, as they dSi
whereby many of the king's clerks were
promoted. Also the pope gave graces to
I
THE KING OF FRANCE AT AVIGNON,
391
fclie duke of Touraine, (he duke of Berry, the
tSiilce of Biirgoyoe and to the lord Coucy ;
^■JI other were stopped that had heec gramed
"Izjefore. The pope was so courteous and
Ijberal, thnt for love of the king's coming
^e granted everything that was asked.
When the king had been there a certain
^pace, the pope shewed him his complaint,
liow that the other pope of Rome greatly
hindered his right and made much trouhle
rand difference m Ihe Church. The kuig
Iieard him well, and promised this ]»pe
<!;iement, that after his return again into
Trance he would mtend lo none other
*hing but lo bring the Church in one
accord. With those words the pope was
^rea.tly comforted. The king took his
leave and returned to Villeneuve and so
«iid his brother and uncles of Berry and
ZBurgoyne : and there on a day the king
made a dinner to all the cardiruils and to
the earl of Geneva, brother to the pope.
.After dinner they took their leaves, for the
Icing said that the next day he would ride
-toward Montpellier, and he thanked them
of the reverence that they had done to
liim. The cardinals returned to Avignon.
Then it was ordained that the king shoukl
depart the next day, his brother and the
duke of Bonrbon in his company ; and bo
lie did, and look leave of his uncles of
Beity and of Burgoyne, and said how they
^ould return into their own countries, for
they should go no further with him at that
time ; for he said be would go to Toulouse
a4id send for the earl of Foix to come
thither. His uncles were content there-
tvith, for as then the king had such counsel
about him, that the duke of Berry and the
duke of Burgoyne'a voices were not heard,
without It were in small matters. The
governing of Languedoc was taken away
from [he duke of Beriy and divided into
■eneschaU5ses to the king's profit, whereof
the countries and marches of Carcassonne,
of Beziers, of Narbonne, of Fanjeaux, of
Bigorre and of Toulouse were greatly
rejoiced ; for before that season they had
been sore oppressed with tallies that the
duke of Berry had raised on them, as ye
shall hear after when the matter rcqulreth il.
When the duke of Berry and the duke
of Burgoyne saw that the king would go
to Montpellier and visit Languedoc and
would not suffer them to go m his com-
Sny, they were sore displeased therewith,
owbeil, sagely they dissimuled the matter
and said each to other : ' The king goeth
into Languedoc lo make inquisition on
them that governed there and to make a
treaty with the call of Foiic, who is the
most proudest earl now Uving : he never
loved nor praised any neighbour that ever
he had, nother French king, England,
Spain, Aragon nor Navarre. The king
takcth with him of his council no mote hut
Riviere and Mercier, Montague and the
B^ue of Villalnes. How say you to this,
brother,' quoth the duke of Berry. The
duke of Bui^oyne answered and said ;
'The king our nephew is young and he
believeth young counsel. 'They shall de-
ceive him, for surely the conclusion shall
not be good, and that ye shall see. It
must behove us to suffer for this present
time, but the time shall came that such as
counselleth h'l" shall repent, and the king
also. Let him go in God's name whither
it shall please him, and let us return into
OUT own countries. As long as we hold
tt^ether, there is none shall do us any
wrong : we are two of the chief members
of France.' Thus these two dukes devised
tt^ether, and the French king departed the
next day and took the way to NimES and
rode thither to dinner. The said two
dukes tarried still with the pope three days,
and the lord of Coucy in like wise : lire
fourth day they departed and rode into
their own countries; and the king went
from Nimes and lay aU night at Lunel.
When the king departed from Lunel, he
went to dinner to Montpellier, it was but
three little miles.^ There he was received
of the burgesses, ladies and damosels of the
town, for they greatly desired to see the
king, and many rich presents were given to
him, for MontpeUier is a puissant town,
rich and fiill of merchandise. The king
praised the town much and well considered
their puissance ; and it was shewed the king
that the town had been much richer before
thanit was at that present lime, for the duke
of Anjou and the duke of Berry, each of
them in their turn, had greatly pilled them.
The king was sorry that the good people
had endured so much damage, and said
how he would reform the country into a
better stale. Then it was shewed the
3-^ THE CHROXICLES OF FROISSART
kii^ thdbt th^ poptreit^ of tiuLt to^vn was time all nig^ and gire and made faaxiqn
fuochiRg U> that he thrxlii bad Sonmd ; and scrppczs lai]getT, and vooid give to t
(r^ that tf/wn of ttJieif hath gri^A trifar.^ of ladies and damnwrtsringi of gold and cfaii
rtcr/9trzRce \/f rea«w of the mjtzchatiyijse to tbem that he r^mted wofthy. The ki
that h there umA (joch bjr lacd and br sea; did so iBodi that he had great land «]
\/at in the inarches of Carcasaoace and praise, and some of tbem woald thit i
TrAilrAi^t zxwi thereaboat, wiytrtaa the said had tarried there kioger than be did, for J
two dukes had the governance, look, on kept rerel, dandi^ and solace, and era
what thir^ they had fmhsance to laj on day it was new to begin,
thitir haiyis there was noching left, bet all or-»r»r#oir t^ i_- r- ^^i. r.--j
tak^ away : 'for ye shall fed the people .J^//.?/^^K-7»^ i«^A/i ^//i^ W
a j^eat pity to see them, their wivc^ and '//' ^"^^ Cjnurtoi^s coming into Fra»at
children, fr>r they have had cver>' year five '^ "^^^ ^^««^ CAflri;» K
r>r %\x tallies laid <m their shoulders and are
ranv/med to the third or fourth port of their ^„ . uttoc ni \'tt n\ vttt
suUfance, and sr/metime to all together: '-"^*^^,*:f$.^J:;4'fn
one taille could not Ije paid, but that another lei-Al, CLAllJ
yizs rcarly on the neclc thereof For, sir, SUMMARY.-The author reliOesthtm
as It IS well knr^wn, these two dukes your j^^ .^-^ p^^^ Courtetuy and the sin i
uncles, while they ruled m Languedoc, ria^y
they have levied in the country from Ville- ^^.^ ^^ ^^^ ^ MontpelUcr. nun^
ncuvc into Toulousain, round about to the ^^^ ^^^^ knights aforesaid to fve a chalkn^
rivcT of Oarr>nne and returning to the rivar . ^^ ^^- iummer, ^ering to ji^
o( Dwdr^e, the sum of thirty hundred 4,,-^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^ Saint-Inglc^ in t
th^m.^nd franks: and specially sith the marches rf Calais.
duke of Anjrni departed, the duke of Berry j^^ j^ j.^ Montpellier and canu
hath done the more damage ; for he found j^^i^^^^ and Saint -ThiUry to Baic
the plain country and commonty m good Betisac being always in his company.
cas*:, frjr the duke of Anjou took but of the o •
rich men, who harl wherewith to pay, but
the duke of Berry spared nother poor nor CHAPTER CLIX [CLXIII]
rich, for he gathered all before him, spea-
ally by one of his council, his treasurer of the complaints made to the king by i
named Betisac, who is of the nation of the people of Languedoc in the town
city r^f Beziers, as ye shall hear by the com- Beziers against Betisac, treasurer to t
ilaints of the people that will cry out on duke of Berry, of the great extortions ll
lirn.' To these words the king said : * As he had made ; and of the confession ll
(iod liave my sf)ul, I shall provide for this he made and of the cruel death that
matter, or I return, and I shall punish the had in the said town.
tr(rst)assers ; for I shall make an inquisition
of the servants and officers of mine uncles, Three days the king was at Beziers
such as liad ruled herebefore in the parts great joy and revel among ladies 2
of Languedoc, and such as have deserved damosels, and all that time Betisac \
shall l)c corrected.' nothing spoken unto: but the inquisit
The kinj; tarried at Montpellier the space who were ordained by the king didsecrt
of twelve (lays, for the order of the town enquire of his deeds, and they found
and the pastime of ladies and damosels, inquest divers cases horrible, not to
sueli as he found there, pleased him greatly, pardoned. The fourth day that the k
To say truth, the king as at that time was had been there this Betisac was cal
in his lusty youth and light and quick of before the king's council in a chamber i
spirit : he danced and carolled among the there straitly examined ; and it was said
frisk ladies and damosels of the town some- him : * Betisac, answer wisely to th
1
fe
ings ihat ye sec here.' Theie
ixvei him a g!ieal number of bills of
"w^ilunls (hat were put up to the kiiig
•pintl him, making mention of the extor-
IVis ihat he had done to the people : oil
Ikac Inlls ot complaints were read before
" p>ne after another. To some he
"wtwl wisely making his excuse, and to
»c he pl^nly denied them and said ;
' I knaw Dolhing of those maltets : lay
'■^m lo the seneschals of Beaucaire and
iJTcissonae and to the chnnccUor of
eth to them to answer to
Howbdt, finally it was
"rd hioi that be must keep prison for a
. till the matter were better eiamined.
■itred, because he might not choose.
'">n as he was in prison, the inquisitors
In his lodging and took into their
'■' all such writings and accounts as
riiund there, which pertained lo such
trs as he had intermeddled withal
e. and they av-iewed them at leisure
Kjitnd in them the reckouiiigs of great
I of money, such as had been raised
levied of the people. Then he was
i^ided where all that money was be-
T, and whether ihe sums were Itue or
He answered and said : ' As for the
, are true,' and Ihe money delivered to
■iiite of Berry and so passed through
hnnds and his treasurers', whereofl
giiod quittances in my lodging m
a place. The which quittances were
fjt before the council and there they
ttad, and ihey agreed with the sums of
Lcdpi, Then Ihe council and the inqui-
^ were apprised and Betisac sent again
:iiuneon 5 prison. Then the council com-
H logelher on thai matter and said: ' It
leih that Betisac is clear of such causes
■i- laid to his charge, fur Ihe money
liith been raised flie duke of Berry
lini it, howsoever it hath been hpetil.'
i Ihinjp considered, Betisac's eicusa-
teie lawliil, for Ihe duke of Berry
Ihe most covetous man in all ihe
J : 10 he might get good, he cared not
e aar hnw he had it; and when be had
■ 'rhrv Lire tiac' II b A cbaxacLerbtic of
I ^-l..- (o omii the pranoun subject in
chap, ,6j fi7il: 'a* for Ihe
.r ntigliboiin ' ; add dap. 1S4
' ''\^cn>nts of mamuc bclw«ii
. . lJic grace ofGod sWl not be
it, he would bestow si but simply, as many
lords do and have done in times past.
Thus the king's council saw no fault in
Betisac, whereby he should lose his life :
some were of that (>pinIon and some con-
trary, and said : ' Betisac halh done so
many cruel deeds and halh so sore im-
poverished the people for to accomplish
the desire of his lord the duke of Berry,
that the blood of the poor people crietb
oat and sailh how he hath deserved death :
for he Ihat is a man bom in these parts,
and councillor with his master, and seeing
ibe poverty of the people, he ought in good
manner 10 have shewed the truth lo Ibe
duke his master; and if the duke would
not have beard him, then he should have
come to the king and to his council and
have shewed Ihem the poverty of the
people, and how the duke of Berry had
dealt with them ; then he had been well
excused.' So Betisac was sent for again to
the council and straitly examined where
the money that bad been gathered was be-
come, for Ihey found Ihe sum of thirty
hundred thousand franks received. He
answered thereto and said : ' My lords, it
were hard for me lo lell where my lord the
duke of Berry bath bestowed it : much he
bath laid out on buildings and reparations
of castles and houses ; also he hatti bought
- - '- lands in the county of Boulogne
the county of Eslampes ; also he
hath spent much in buying of predous
stones and jewels, the which ye know well
he hath always been desirous to buy ; also
he is well stuffed to maintain the estate that
he hath always kept ; also he hath given
such gifts and rewards to Thibault and
" ' ■ ind lo his servants about him, in
thai they be rich men.' ' Well,
Betisac,' quoth they of the council, 'anil
ye have had for your part to your angular
profit a hundred thousand franks.' 'My
lords,' quoth he, ' that I have had was hy
the consent of my lord ihe duke of Betry,
for he would that his servants should be-
rome rich.' Then the coundl said all
with ooe voice: 'Ah, Betisac, Ihat word
is foolishly spoken : that riches is not good
□or reasonable that is evil gotten. Ye
shall return again into prison, and we shall
take further advice on that ye have said
id spoken. Ve must abide ihc pleasure
of the king, to whom we shall shew .
394
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
your exctisations.' ' My lords,' quoth he,
'all shall be as God will.' Then he was
again set in prison and there remained four
da]rs, or he was sent for again.
When these tidings were spread abroad
in the country, that Betisac was in prison,
and that enquiry was made of his deeds,
and that it was published that whosoever
had any matter to him should come forth,
thereby much people came to Beziers and
put up supplications to the king of the cruel
deeds of Betisac. Some complained of
him that he had disherited them without
cause or reason, and other complained of
him that he had by force taken their wives
and daughters. When the king's council
saw so many great causes laid to Betisac,
they were weary thereof, and beside all
these complaints he was sore behated ^^dth
the people, and all this came to him by
reason to fill the duke of Berry's purse : he
did ever what he would have him to do.
The king's council wist not what to do, for
then there was come thither two knights
from the duke of Berry, the lord of Nan-
touillet and sir Peter Mespin, who had
brought letters to the king n:om the duke,
and they in the duke's behalf avowed all
that ever Betisac had done before, and the
duke required the king and his council to
have again his man and treasurer. The
king had great hatred to Betisac because of
the evil name and fame that ran upon him :
the king and the duke of Touraine his
brother inclined greatly to have had him
hanged, saying how he had well deserved
it ; but the king's council durst not judge
him for doubt of the duke of Berry. They
said to the king : * Sir, if the duke of Berry
avow all his deeds, whatsoever they be, we
cannot see by no way of reason that he
hath deserved death ; for the season that
he meddled in these countries by cessing
of tailles, subsidies and aids and receiving of
them, he did it at the instance of the duke
of Berry, who had at that time there puis-
sance royal, as well as ye have now. But,
sir, according to the deserts of his deeds ye
may seize into your hands all his moveables
and heritages and leave him in the same
case as the duke of Berry found him first,
and with his goods make restitution to such
poor men as be undone by him.' What
should I make long process ? Betisac was
' file point of his deliverance with the loss
of his goods, till at the last other tidnp
came in place : I shall shew yoa what
I knew not nor I could not know^ Ixt^
knowledging of himself, if he were iodn
so evil as he judged himself: he sudk
was an heretic and had done manyhoott
deeds. As it was shewed me, thoneotf
some to him on a night, being in prisoi^fe
Eut him in fear ; whether t^*^"***"
iends or foes I know not. They»'
'Betisac, thou art in a hard case: Ik
French king, his brother and the dubi
Bourbon doth hate you mortally : thaei
so many complaints put up agaiifit^
from divers places of such oppressioBii
ye have done when ye had rule in Lop'
doc, so that they all judge you to k
hanged : for ye cannot scape with theljj
of your goods, the which hath been flW
to the kine ; but the king, who hateth ji
mortally, hath answered how that aUjJ
goods are his and your body also, the in
he saith, he will not keep loi^. I d*
you this for good will, for to-morrowlj
thought ye shall be delivered to be gdfl
to die.' Those words greatly aiaj*
Betisac, and said to them: *Ah, Sw
Mary, is there no remedy?' *Yes,'q<j
they, * to-morrow say how ye would spj
with the king's council, and then (U»
they will come to you or send for yo« •
them ; and when ye be in their press*
then say thus: "My lords, I knowfcj
myself I have greatly displeased God)*
for the displeasure he ham to me this ttj
slander is raised on me. " Then they rf
demand of you wherein. Then ye 4f
answer how ye have a long season eirrfj
your faith, and that ye be an heretic •
keep still that opinion. When the bis^
of Beziers shall hear that, he will th*
challenge to have you in his ^^^
Then ye shall be delivered to him, for *J
causes ought to be declared by the la* ■
the Church. Then ye shall be sent J
Avignon : there will be none against tt*
duke of Berry, the pope will not displo*
him, and by this means ye may be ^
livered and nother lose body nor goods: W
if ye bide still in the case that ye be in» J*
shall not scape past to-morrow, but thatj*
shall be hanged ; for the king hateth y*
because of the slander of the people-
Betisac, who trusted on that ftilse infoiB*"
1 ' I know not, nor can I know.'
II
«
It
le
(&
\
Id
idi
k
to
m
\
It
ft
lb
\
\
I
THE KING IN LANGUEDOC
395
for he that is in peril of death knowelh
vA\ who.! to do, wherefore he unswered
laid: ' Ye be my friend and counsel me
, whereof God thank you, and I trust
imE shall come that I sfaail thank you.'
>e neitt morning he called the gaoler
said: 'Friend, I require you cause
men and such Co come to speak with
ZLnd named such as were the inquisitors
him. The gaoler shewed theni how
-ac would speak with them. They
; to him and demanded what he would,
answered and said ; ' Sirs, 1 have
lied my conscience : I knowledge my-
\ have highly displeased God, for long
I have erred against the faith. I
r believed of the Trinity, nor that the
of God would come so low as
heav
irld 1
liuman kind of
and say that when we die there is
ing of the soul.' 'Ah, Saint Mary,'
H» they, ' Betisac, ye are greatly against
' Church : your words demandeth for
: : advise you better.' 'I cannot tell,'
h Betisac, ' whether my words de-
ieth lire or water, but I have hoHen
opinion sith I have had knowledge,
shall hold it till I die.' The inquisitors
d hear no more of him at that time,
Vvere glad to find such a matter a^nst
thereby to put him to death. Then
commanded the gaoler to keep him
Lly and to suffer no man to speak with
to the intent that he should not be
±d from that opinion. Then they went
Lc king's council and shewed them all
matter : then they went to the king
shewed him all the manner of Betisac.
e have heard, whereof the king had
t marvel and said : ' We will that he
>Ut to death : it is an evil man, he is a
■■ heretic and a thief; we will he be
il and hanged, then he shall have as
lath deserved. He shall not be excused
all mine uncle of Berry.'
mon these tidings were spread abroad
he city of Beiiers, how Betisac had of
own voluntary will without any con-
lint confessed bow he was an heretic
I had used long Ihc sin of bulgary,' and
■And,'
jJnDd'b^
how the king had said how he should be
brent and hanged, whereof much people
were right joyous, for he was sore hated.
The two knights that were come thither
from the duke of Berry were greatly
abashed and wist not what to suppose.
Then sir Peter Mespin said to the lord ot
Nantouillet ; ' Sir, I fear me Betisac is
betrayed : peradventure s-
hath
with him secretly in the pris
hath borne bim in hand that if he hold
that horrible error, that the Church then
shall challenge him, and so be sent to
Avignon to the pope and thereby be de-
livered. Ah, fool that he is, be is deceived,
for the king sailh he will have him both
brent and hanged. Let us go to the prison
to him and reform him and bring him to
another state ; for he is far out of the way
and evil counselled.' They went straight
to the prison and desired the gaoler that
they might speak with Betisac. The gaoler
excused himself and said : ' Sirs, ye must
pardon me, for I am strailly charged to
suffer no man to apeak with him, and also
here be four se[geants of arms sent by the
king to keep him, and we dare not break
the king's commandment." Then the two
knightssaw well how they laboured in vain,
andhow there was no remedy by all likeli-
hood, but that Betisac should die. Then
they returned to their lodging and reckoned
and paid, and took their horses and returned
to their lord the duke of Berry and shewed
him all the case.
The conclusion of Befisac was such, that
the next day about ten of the clock he was
taken out of prison and brought to the
bishop's palace, and there were ready the
judges and ofHcers spirilual ; and the baily
of Beiiers brought forth the prisoner and
said : ' Behold, sirs, here is Betisac, whom
I deliver to you for an heretic and asinner
in bulgary, and if be had not been a clerk,
be had been judged or this according to
his deserts.' Then the ofRcial demanded
of Betisac if it were with him according as
he was accused, and to confess [he truth
there openly before all the people. And
Betisac, who thought to have said well
and to have scaped by reason of his con-
fession, he answered and said that all
was true. He was demanded this three
times, and at every time he confessed it to
be true before a!! the people. Thus ye
396
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
may know whether he was deceived or
not, for if he had made no such confcEEion,
he had been delivered ; for the duke of
Beny hud full]' avowed all his deeds, the
which he had done at his camtnandment
In the country of Languedoc : but il was to
be supposed that fortune played her turn
with him, for when he thought to have been
most assutedest on the height of fortune's
wheel, he was turned up-se-down from her
wheel, OS she hath done a hundred thousand
more sith the world began. Then Bctisac
was delivered again by the spiritual judge
to the baily of Beziers, who under the king
ruled the temporalty ; the which Belisac
without delay was brought to a place before
the palace, he was so hasted forward that
he had no leisure to answer nor to say nay,
for when he saw n fire ready prepared in
the place and saw that he was in the hands
of the hangman, he was soie abashed, and
saw well thea that he was deceived and
betrayed. Then he cried out aloud re-
quiring to be heard, but then was no heed
-teken to his saying, but the hangman said :
'It is ordained that ye shall die, for your
evil works hath brought you to an evil
end.' He was hasted forward Co his death
and the lite made ready : there was also
raised a pair of gallows and thereto tied a
chain of iron, and at the end thereof a
collar of iron, the which was put about his
neck, and then the chain drawn np a-high
and tied round about the gallows. Then
he died and said : ' Duke of Berry, they
cause me to die without reason, they do me
wrong.' As soon as he was tied lo the
gallows, there was set round about dry
sedge, reed and faggots, and fire put
thereto, and incontinent the faggots were
afire. Thus Belisac was hanged and brent,
and the French king out of his chamber
might well see him, if he would. To this
poor end come Betisac, and so the people
were revenged of him ; and for lo say the
Itulh, he had done many extortions and
damages to the people while he had Ihi
governing of the country of Languedoc.
CHAPTER CLX [CLXIV]
SUMMARY.— The tail of Foix can
— --bme to sec Ikt king, and did homage
tmfyn/Foix.
CHAPTER CLXI ICLXVl
) Paris from MontpeHin, i
The French king being at Ti
ordered all his business and n
renewed seneschals and officers, ul
formed the country into good
well c<
uncle of Bourlx)n and the lords of
and Gascoyne to the inleni to
pelual memory, gave to his cot
sir Charles d'Albret, for the a
of his honour, two quarters
France with flowH--de-luces i I
lords d'Albret bare always in thoiM
field of gules plain without any Oixif
now they be quartered with the A
France: which (hin|; the lord d' A''-'
for a great gift. Which lord made m»-
day a great dinner, which cost hin
than a thousand fianks, and he V
heraldB and minstrels twobimdredBI
Anon after it was ordained that the
should depart from Toulouse [o rrtm
France ; every man made him ''■4''
look leave of the king, the bishop «'
louse, the seneschal and the turg™*
lords and damosels of the town. ""^
departed and rode that night l<
naudary and so forward every day, so <
he came to Montpellier, where UA
joyfijily received, and there (arried Br
days, for the ladies and damosels ■
pleased him much. Then be bad p
desire to return to Paris to see ihe
on a day, as he communed i
with his brother of Touraine, he "
' Fair brother, I would thai yon iKjl
were at Paris and all our eslat "" "
as it is, for I have great desire
queen and your fair sister 'of
Then the duke said : 'Sir, we —
there with wishing: it is a far jcunfl
hence." 'That is true,' quoth Ihe W6
1 'Et voo." Wle «jEurdtThDnnulir,"1^J?
(haw! gTEiI duire lo s«) my fail ™'"?ij
I Ihink I might be soon Ihere, an I
Id.' 'Yea,' quolh Ihe duke, 'with
p of good horses ; for 50 could I be, but
liorse must bear me.' ' Well,' quoth
liing, ' lay a wager you and I, who
I be theie soonest.' 'I am content,'
.it the duke : for he whs ever ready to
money of the king. The wager was
between the king and the duke, that
soever of them twain came soonest to
S should win iive thousand franks of
Other, and to depart the next day all
ne hour, and each of them to take but
knight or servant with them : there was
a.an that durst break their wager. The
: day they departed as it was ordained :
lord of Garencieres rode with the king,
the lord of Viefville was with the duke
r'outaine. Thus these four rode night
day like young lusty gallants ; they
iged many horses ; thus they rode in
. The duke of Bouihon returned by
in Auvetgne and rode to see his grand-
er' by the way, the earl Dolphin of
■«rgne, and the countess and their chil-
»s of whom there were to the number
s%ht, what sons what daughters, all
hren and sisters to the duchess of Bour-
. his wife, but that was by reason of
marriages.
'fans the French king and his brother
<juke of Touraine rode in great haste
i of them to win the wager. Consider
1 the great pain of these two great and
lords : youlh and liberty of courage
te them to do that enterprise; their
tes abode behind. The French king
le it four days and a half or he came
*aris, and the duke of Touraine no more
four days and a quarter of a day, they
>wed each other so near. The duke
k the wager by reason that the French
£ rested himself about eight of the clock
rroyes in Champagne, and the duke
E a barge in the nver of Seine and went
»g; ihe river to Melun,* and there took
ie and rode so till he came to Paris,
so went to Saint- Pol to the queen and
^ bclIM readbe is Tiliwf in-law.'
fhi duke of Tdui^c reslcd for the ni^bt m
^*^SC Rmng down the river, while iKc kmg —
^' idvaiiUge. The diilance bom Montpell
•. bnl there ii good evidence that the match c
to his wife and demanded tidings of the
king, for he wist not whether he were come
or not. And when he knew that the king
was not come, he wasjoyfiil and said to the
queen ; 'Madam, ye shall shortly hear tid-
ings of the king.' lie said truth, for the
king came soon after. When the duke of
Touraine heard that the king was come, he
and met him and said : ' Sit, I have
my wager, let me be paid.' 'It is
in, quoth the king, ' and so ye shall.'
There they shewed before the ladies all
their journey, and how that in four days
and a half they were come from Mont-
lellier to Paris, which was a hundred and
ifty leagues asunder. The ladies turned
all the matter to sport and laughing, but
they well judged Uiat they had endured
much pain, and judged that youth and
courage of heart caused them to do i(.
And the duke of Touraine was truly paid
for his wager.
CHAPTER CLXII [CLXVI]
Of the death of pope Urlian of Rome, called
the antipope, and how pope Clement
wrote to the French king and to his uncles
and to the university, and of Ihe election
of pope Boniface by the cardinals of I^ome.
epope
About the said season died at Roir
Urban the sixth. The Romans we
displeased with his death, for he was well
beloved. He was buried in the church of
Saint Peter, and after his obsequy done
well and reverently, then the cardinals
went into the conclave to choose a new
pope ; and so they did, or that pope
Clement knew thereof in Avignon, for it
was ten days past or they knew it. And
as soon as pope Clement and his cardinals
knew thereof, they assembled It^ether at
the pope's palace and had great communi-
cation together, and were in great hope
that the business of the Church should leave
and be concluded and to come to a fuli
union, for the error had long endured.
They thought that Ihe cardinals at Rome
should not agree so soon lo enter into con-
clave, but rather to submit themselves to
pope Clement at Avignon. They sent also
word to the French king of the death of
Urban, called the antipope, and de^t^l
I
3oS
THE CHROXICLES OF FROISSART
him (the siv»neT lo come to their purpose)
ihni he ^-ouKI write to his cousins the king
tti Almnine Ami the king of Hungary-, to the
cAiI itl' Veiius Aiiii to the i^uke of Austria.
>iiho hail over hoU^en with jv^pe I'rhjui,
that ih(^' shtMili) now cejise. and help to
niake rest anil ^va^v in the t^urch. and to
shew them b> hi> letters that in our faith
there oixj^ht to Iv no vaiiation. for as there
In Uit one i»ivi in heaven, so there oajht
lo 1^ \\\\\ one iiixl in e.irth. The same
seftMMJ the ili-.ke of Biirfoyne was with the
kinj; a: IV.mn. to whom j>"»ix' Clemen: anc
the cfti\l:nal> wrote in like nmnner : :hm
the kinjj shewe*: hi> uivle :hese rsem-s and
was iij^Ji: >'X fx;! anr! sau": : * } r.ir unrJe, we
havr had iT'tr.i iis-sire :o jjo with great
pinji)yxn,.T '.o Kome to iu»s:rov :he inn.>iels :
tu:: as now o;;: Mumex is weil shored, lor
I jl>ar. :hr £:':roo:>e is .iea.-.. as Cjemen:
Jill ■ ^" ia-» •■■-*»• • ^ i*v - ^ "^ '' S^- ••■•**L^*Vi '^n*
■^*» *rf» «• ^"'T^'v 1* ■ ' "^ »• r*^i***' \^^' "N -^ "iT^ ■^f^ %*'■
:,' .•'So.w; r.: » ;irw :io:v . i^u: rtihc! :»" oomc
• • -K » ij^ .""o:-. .'. :^ '. : . n;. : i:v. ; ; : h;*ms:0 vcs ::n ;■ :^
.vi.v kVi;M"»'c-:-»: : an.! v: f.:-; ,ies:reL in- r.:ir.
an.. ^^ .^: ,'&■.■.:::••£!> i.. Avij^nor.. i.i: :h;
in.v.-.- M."r;\. :, vvi:; iVirRsap: u'::fTs. i: ou:
.\m:mi;> .!k kiru: .»: Almun: an:. :: :i:>
Iv\"».Ik«: .he kjiUL .V Hiinj^r.-x r.n.: :, ;:i:
cu\\ ,1 \ j«-:i;> :.n. ;,- \X\t .Ii.kj ,»" AusH'ia
N^ lu.. .*.«!;>«;». V :! v: j^-v; nn :. .i. " Th:
.U:w, .» i-ur.-jj.'xMr n::i. * isr :r;': i; ^^
ivi:v , ■■:-.ii: > .t;*i'... :mj: r.> ^■;:»: vj knov
ii.ii:ttiiij: ,» .\\i ^flTi .\: :!i: .v.^.ir.-.r.S a:
*v,nn; im: ,* .hr •voitu-.I'sn n.v vhfilt?:
ira' 1 vi! :v !w. «.\' Jlii^n' :. i,'»f^-f i:. t.r
:\\i K,im:i:'s a ■; lv.:^i■;'■v .vi«- :!i; .v."'.:::ias
!*\ i,v.\- .?\.-»* iv-.-i.u .Ii:«n !,■ .•^.v^4^ rli:
a',•:l:•.>i^.^■ .i :•* .::■.. •.•.■.i».i; r.:n ix^rv
-•■ • ^^ I t»ta >■*■-■■• ■• ■ ■■■■• • ■ ■ ■• • ■«« •41«« ^«
• «« ^^ »^« ■«! «■■•- ■••^» *.^ -^^- " 'l- ^*l ' ■ •^rf" ^
V ««■•% «■■• %%>■« -B_ ■■« ■ * ^ " ^^ffv ^ "* ■ "^a
« «■*« p- *•■-■*■• « ■■■■% «B-«^ ^^^ 41 ^
» ■ ■■« «
:*-:*<•'«■ ilV .
that condition. And if tbemtfterp^ ies
then shall it be time for yoo to vnK|i4 ie ■
the pirinces christened that are of diefl|iBi in;
contniy to you, in the best naaneiM tee
toavoid the schism' and to hringtkM \t\
to an union and peace, as bjion^ %i
man ought to do. Bat asydjeteif It
sure how the matter poeth: itiilitf^ ikn
a>tide the adventure thereof; it daUrf itt
be long or we bear other tidii^' ^ Ker
the duke of Buigcnme bad said thoe^ (i^t
to the Idx^ and to bis comidl,diK' >i-
none thai spake cantzaxy thada Vfllte
king thought bis wards were iafldklki:|
and said: * Fair uncle, we beliennllR
govtd reason ibai ye say : ye see ^|i^i
clearer i£ tbe maner t^m we dD:aH^
as for tbe husineB of the Qmrdi, ^*l^
do nothing tberain bn: Iw your bMbIIs
tberoaaed <f ^1
ai>d aivice.' Hms
r^omsnunicaiian.
Grca! munmnstian diar was iflMifV
clerks of ibr mui'cihj-j of tboK tW
^■herebr rber cei»ec to ;ead or to Ml
£jir. iniendec to nxbing ban lo h^
&nd i:- kn:iw brw ibe cardinals cf^
r'lec!: a new xwpe or eke toiesnifeSK
p.»;v a: Avignnn. Tiwr did oB ■^
.i.n.:»:> anr. argue r. .ms wi± ancshEr:''!
knrv well h**^ Ciemsn: bad wiirta**
king anc \i nie dus of TocaDBe ^
:hf diiks o:' Iiu^j«mf aoid lo die tif
.".Mmoi! : xr. iii:^ wisf Isxet!^ werefiilj
gsnsTal'x T.' the mi?versin-. iba: dieyi*
."onr.suor- \: sr. nrnvssal itease in *
r.nuT*'j; Thus ibi cierks nfroeo i^
:riem«s"T\"e&. anr. surh &s wan'iL "die sC***
men: o- vT.iemsn: saic : "XMrria^
rr-v ;:u kir^ ant ihs iaras nf Fiance^
'. :h: f^rea: nnnras oi CbrsienaaDk'*
:n: i;:ng »v Am^ain^. ihs tins: 3^3
::t: ' W4 iV \::ar.. anr u ^ :bf anc
•.:s^~A an* !,- «i2r. nawr » °^ **5l
.v.:r.:.-.:. - \c ::w ir.ier.: ita: iiif< a**'
rr\:-: \ :rff «ar^: sriij suiii W33ll£^
:v.;i.-! -■'Tii:. ir :r.rfs .lar-i airss 3»s*
r. -.:.-. v.; ,-t*ri;-. ,-. :r:; :si'v:ffsxTT n:?ar»*
<■"■■..;■. ■ ^O? '--'"' — r-» i J2>" ;:5iife ',. ?S^
I
EXPEDITION TO AFRICA,
1390
399
jf the Church and to intend
ce of pope Cleinenl, who hi
tten to him. But when they
nl-Pol, they were not answered ;
simuled the mailer with them,
y were evil content. Finally
:onIented them, saying how
should hear other news ; and
I ; for the cacdinols of Rome
tlie conclave and mode 3. new
cardinal of Naples, a noble
clerk : he was called Boniface.
French king and his council
jf, they were pensive, for then
nagined how that the schism
0 endure long. Then the duke
: said to the king : ' Sir, now
her your wiilii^ had not been
; it is now fallen as I said.'
;,' quoth the king, 'ye say
,ces were opened to all clerks
y Boniface, and all provinces
:reof, such as were under his
and such as would receive such
t towards Rome. And when
ched the marches of Ancona,
1 great peril, for sir Bernard de
0 kept the frontiers there, and
> the Romans in the quarrel of
nt, took such clerks as passed
them much trouble, and many
IS leave speaking of these popes
the strong tirain of Afriqui^ fitted etU an
expedition againit this town ami invited
French hnigkli tojHn them, and desired aiu
of the French Hag's tmcles or the duke of
Tourainc to ie their tommandcr. The
duke of Bourien accepted, and there toent
aha the lord of Coucy and many othrr lardt
of France and of other countries.
The fieet sailed frsm Genoa about mid-
summer in the year 1390, and arrived at
the island of Cotnminieres, about thirty
milts from the loam of Afriqtie.
CHAPTER CLXVI [CLXX]
having sold ti ^
earl ^ Amiagnac, established himself in la
Rache-Vendeix and pillaged the country.
The French king sent the viseeunl of Meaux
to be his lieutenant in Auvergne, who be-
sieged mid captured la Rocht - Vendeix,
Ayvierigol Marcd loas taien and executed
CHAPTER CLXVII [CLXXI]
low the Christian lords and the Genoways
departed Ihence to go and lay siege to the
strong city of Afrique in Harbary, and how
they maintained the siege.
Whereas I have spoken nt length of the
TER CLXm [CLXVII]
y. — The castle of Ventadou
th taken, and the captains of 1
for their attempted treachery.
TER CLXIV [CLXVIII]
PTER CLXV [CLXIX]
Y.^The Genoese, who suff,
in their islands and on 1.
pirates, viho had their bast
d ought to be always treated in a
history, and specially when it toncheth any
great feat, for ensaraple of other and to
' er and occasion to do well : for if
_ t had led his life in good virtues,
he had been a man of great valour, and
because he did the contntty, he came to an
Now let u5 leave speaking of him, and
let us return to the high enterprise that the
Christian linighls of France and other
lid in that season in the reahn
of Aftique, and I will b^n thereas I left,
.aid lords assembled in the isle of
linieres after they had passed the
400
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
tempests and perils in the gulf of Lyon.
There they tarried each for other, for there
were in the city of Afrique a thirty thou-
sand. In this isle of Comminieres they
were a nine days and refreshed them : and
there the patrons of the galleys said to the
lords : * Sirs, we be in the land next ap-
proaching to the marches of Afrique,
whither by the grace of God ye are pur-
posed to go and lay siege ; wherefore it is
Dchoveable to take counsel each of Qther,
how we may enter into the haven and to
take land. To save ourselves^ it is best
we send foremost our little ships called
brigandines, and let us tarry in the mouth of
the haven the first day that we approach and
all the night after, and the next morning
to take land by the grace of God at our
leisure, and then lodge ourselves as near
the city as we may, without the shot of their
artillery, and let us set our cross-bow Geno-
ways in order, who shall be ready to defend
all scrimmishes ; and we suppose well that
when we shall take landing we have here
in your companies many young squires,
who to enhance their honours will require
to have the order of knighthood. Instruct
them wisely and sweetly how they shall
maintain themselves, and, my lords, know
for truth that all we seamen shall acquit us
unto you well and truly and always shew
you by what manner of order we shall
most grieve our enemies, and we shall take
pain and study how the city of Afrique
may be won, for ofttimes they have done
us great damage ; for on that coast it is
the chief key of Barbary and of the realms
that foUoweth, first the realm of Afrique,
of Marocco and of Buggia, and if God
of his grace will consent that we may
win this city of Afirique, all the Saracens
will tremble to the realm of Libya and
Syria, so that all the world shall speak
thereof, and by the aid of other Christian
realms and isles marching near to Afrique
we shall always be refreshed with victuals
and new men ; for this is a common voyage,
for every man will desire daily to do deeds
of arms and specially on God's enemies.'-
1 *Pour nous saulver,' but a better reading is
* pour eulx saluer,* * to greet them,' that is the
enemy.
2 * We shall always be able to hold and refresh it
with victuals and new men: for this shall be a
•*~>>fnnfi^ voyage, and let it be accomplished and
10 as to make war every day on the
Ben:
lis,
kin
lit!:
fed
UTLi
to J
her
•x.
And thus in the conclusion of their procs
the patrons said : ' Lords, we say not tUi
by no presumption, nor by manner as ti
teach you what ye should do, bat this tU
we have said is all only for love and b
humility, for ye be all noblemen, sage m
valiant, and can better order evesydil
than we can devise and speak.' Then tk
lord of Coucy said : * Sirs, your good «••
sel and advice ought greatly to contcot^
for we see nothing therein but good; ■(
sirs, be ye sure Siat we shall do Dodil
without your counsel, for ye have \s^
us hither to do deeds of arms.'
Thus in the presence of the duke*
Bourbon the lords and other coooseW
together in the isle of Comminieres, k*
they might approach the strong to*B«|''fc
Afiique. When everything was wdlijj It:
vised and set in good order by the adBJJ |^^
and patrons of the galleys, and thatwij
and weather served them, every I*
entered into his galley among thorcj
men, having great desire to encounter!*
their enemies, the Saracens. Then ^
trumpets blew up at their departing!*
was great pleasure to behold their o^
how they rowed abroad in the sea, vW
was peaceable, calm and fair, so that i
manner the sea shewed herself that it
had great desire that the Christian laB
should come before the strong town a
Afrique. The Christian navy was p)o4f
to regard and well ordered, and it w«
great beauty to see the baimers and penDO*
of silk with the arms and badges of Ae
lords and other waving with the wind ^
shining against the sun, and within *
hour of noon the Christian men perceifrf
the high towers of the town of^Afriqn^
and the farther they sailed, the nearer^
shewed to their sights ; wherefore crflj
man rejoiced and good cause why, seeiaf
all they desired to come thither: th*J
thought then in a manner their pains l^
leased and their voyage accomplished
Thus as they approached to the entry*
the realm of Afrique, they communed aod
devised among themselves ; and in Kk*
manner the Saracens that were within the
town of Afrique spake and devised aw
were sore abashed, when they saw their
enemies of God, and always to win land.' By *
common voyage' they mean one in which tbef
share equally with their allies. .
EXPEDITION TO AFRfCA
nies approach with such a number of
, and said that surely they were lilcely to
■esieged. Howiieit, they thought their
■\ so stioDg with towers and walls and
artillery, that therewith they tecotn-
:<i and took courage ; and to give
ling to the countiy, as soon as they
their enemies on the sea on the high
Irs, they sowned timbres and tabors ac-
ing to their usage in such wise that the
abroad in the country drew Ic^ether.
1 men of Baibary as had been sent
ler by the king of Afrique and by the
of Tunis and Bu^a, when they
V of the Christian men's coming by
3n of the noise of the timbres and
rs, to the intent that they should not
r loo far into their countries, every
took heed to his charge ; and sent
lin of their captains to the sea side to
the approaching of the Christian men
to behold their dealing that night.
> they provided to defend the towers
gates about the haven of Afrique, to
intent that W their negligence the
n of Afrique should take no damage,
ch town was so strong that it was not
ily to take great hurt without long
\nd r, John Froissait, author of this
'nnicle, because I was never in Afrique
1 because I might truly write the manner
i fashion of this enterprise, always I
lined such knights and squi - - ' '
.t the a;
voyage
irything ; and because I had
*es in my days at Calais, I demanded
□ of such there as had been at the said
^e,^ and it was shewed me of a surety
It the Saracens among themselves said
VI the Christian men that were there
re expert and subtle men of arms :
ereupon an ancient Saracen said to all
company ; 'Sirs, al! things considered,
is hesx that the Christian meti at the
pnning sec not our strength and puis-
ice, nor also we have not men suilicient
light with them, but daily
us : wherefore I think it
m to take land. They have no horses
Hire there \t anaWsi in Ihe Uit roltaned bf (hi
to overrun the country : they will not
spread abroad, but keep together for fear
of as : the town is strong enough and well
provided, we need not fear any assaults :
the air is hot and will be hotter ; they are
lodged in the sun, and we in the shadow ;
and they shall daily waste their victuals
and shall be without hope to recover any
new, an they lie here any long season ;
and we shall have plenty, for we be in
our own country : and they shall oftentimes
be awaked and scrimmished withal, to
their damage and to our advantage. Let
us not hght with them, for otherwise they
cannot iSscomSt us : they have not been
used with the air of this country, which is
contrary to their nature: I think this the
To the saying of this ancient knight
Saracen all other ^rced : then it was com-
manded on pain of death that no man
should go to the sea side to scrimmish
with the Christian men, without they were
commanded, but to keep themselves close
in their lodgings and suffer the Chrisiian
men to take land. This determination
was upholden, none durst break it, and
they sent a certain of their archers into
the town of Afrique, to aid to defend it.
The Saracens shewed themselves nothing,
as though there had been no men in the
coutitry. The Christian men lodged all
that night in the mouth of the haven of
Afrique, and the next morning the weather
was fair and clear and the air in good
temper, and the sun rose that it was
pleasare to behold. Then the Christian
men began to stir and made them ready,
having great desire to approach the town
of Afrique and to lake land. Then
trumpets and clarions b^an to sown in
Ihe galleys and vessels and made great
noise, and about nine of the clock, when
the Christian men had taken a little
refreshing with drink, then were they
rejoiced and lighted ; and according ^
they had appointed before, they sent in
first their light vessels called bngandincs,
well furnished with artilleiy ; they entered
into the haven, and after them came the
armed galleys and the other ships of the
fleet in good order, and turning towards the
land by the sea side there was a strong
castle with high towers, and specially one
tower, which ikrendcd the sea side and the
I
402
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
land also ; and in this tower was a bricole
or an engine, which was not idle but still
did cast great stones among the Christian
men's ships. In like wise in every tower
of the town against the sea side there were
engines to cast stones : the Saracens had
well provided for their town, for they
looked ever long before when they should
be besieged.
When the Christian men entered into
the haven of Afrique to take land, it was
a pleasant sight to behold their order and
to hear the claiions and trumpets sound so
high and clear. Divers knights and valiant
men of the realm of P'rance spread abroad
that day their banners, with divers other
new-made knights. The lord John of Ligne
was there first made knight, he was of the
country of Hainault ; he was made by the
hands of a cousin of his named sir Henry
d'Antoing, and there he spread abroad
first his banner, the field gold, a bend of
gules, and in his company was his cousin-
german the lord of Havreth in Hainault.
Thus the lords, knights and squires with
great desire advanced them and took land
and lodged on the land of their enemies in
the sight of the false Saracens on a Wednes-
day in the evening of Mary Magdalen in
the year of our Lord God a thousand three
hundred and fourscore [and ten], and as
they took land they were lodged by their
marshals. The Saracens that were within
the town praised much the Christian men's
order, and because that the great galleys
could not approach near to the land, the
men issued out in boats and took land and
followed the banner of our Lady,
The Saracens that were within the town
and such as were abroad in the country
suffered the Christian men peaceably to
take land, for they saw well it should not
be for their advantage to have fought with
them at their landing. The duke of
Bourbon, who was as chief of the Christian
army there, was lodged in the midst of his
company right honourably, his banner dis-
played, powdered full of flower-de-luces
with an image of our Lady in the midst
and a scutcheon with the arms of Bourbon
under the feet of the image.
SUMMARY.— Here follows the order in
'^hick the lords and knights were lodged in
•4. The Saracens had an army of
forty thousand or more encamped ap^
them outside the town, with a vHtod mv
them, and they every day attacked tk^
posts of the Christian camp, neoer am
to close quarters ;, and this went onfrf
weeks.
Oaii
ttli
tep
4cr
Be
k
OK
The author thus continues : —
The Saracens within the townof Afiif
had great marvel by what title ort"
stance that the Christian men cametifliB
so strongly to make them war. ft*
shewed me how they took advice
them how to know the truth thereof
determined to send to the ChrisliaB
to know their minds, and so took a W^Ii^^
man that could speak Italian and ^II.
manded him to go to the Christian Wl^^
and to demand of them in what title v|^
instance they are come to make us H
and why they be come so strongly into W
empire of Barbary and into the "
Afrique : * and say how we h*'^
nothing trespassed them. Of a tsP
afore this time there hath been *
between us and the Genoways, bot ■
for that war by reason ought not to too
the Christian men of far countries •
As for the Genoways, are our neighboi*
they take of us and we of them, we h*_.
been ancient enemies and shall be, tiof
when truce is between us.* With IJ
message the trucheman departed and «■
to the Christian army and met first wiA*
Genoway, and shewed him how hewiij
messenger sent from the Saracens to spw
with some lord of France. The Geno^
had to name Antony Marchi ; he w*
centurion of the cross-bows : he *
this messenger to the duke of BourboD
to the lord of Coucy, who gladly "
him speak ; and the words that he spab
his own language ^ the centurion G
expouned them in French. "When
messenger had declared his message,
desired to have an answer. The lowb
France said he should have, but first
would take advice in the matter. Th*
twelve of the greatest lords drew t
to council in the duke of Bourbon's
and concluded, and so sent fcx
messenger ; and the Genoway made
his answer in all their names, saying
1 *The words that the lords could not
stand ' : the dragoman spoke Italian,
EXPEDITION TO AFRICA
403
title and quarrel that they made war
v-Sls becanse the Son of God, called Jesu
"ist, and true prophet, by their line and
eration was put to death and crucified ;
because they had judged their God to
th without title or reason, therefore
!?■ would have amends and punish that
■pass and false judgmeut that they of
>r law had made ; and also because they
ieved not in the holy baptism and are
T contrary lo their laith and law ; nor
3 because they believed not in the Virgin
try, mother to Jesu Christ. For these
taes and other, they said, they took the
laeens and all their sect for their
emies, and said how they would revenge
£ despites that they had done and daily
_ to their God and Christian faith. With
ts answer the tnicheman returned with-
t peril or damage and shewed to his
*3lcrs all as ye have heard. At this
5wer the Saracens did nothing but laugh,
J said how that answer was nothing
ssnnable, for it was the Jews that put
irist to death and not they. Thus the
^ still endured, every party making
Anon after, the Saracens took counsel
gether and determined that a seven or
jht days together they should suffer the
Jristian men in rest, and not to make
"j manner of scrinimish with them, and
en suddenly on a night about the hour
midnight to set on the host, trusting
ereby to do a great feat. As they or-
ined so they did, and on eight days
gether they made no scrimmish, and on
e ninth day about midnight they secretly
med them with such armour as they were
customed to, and so came close ti^elher
ihont any noise near to the lodgings of
e Christian men, and had enterprised to
ve done a great feat and to have entered
>C cm that side that their watch was on,
.t on the other pact of the field, where
ere was no watch kept. They had come
their intents, an God proper^ had not
en against them in shewing of apparent
iracles: I shall shew you how.
As the Saracens approached, they saw
Jdenly before them a great company of
lies and damosels, all in white colour,
d one in especial, who in beauty with-
tcomparison exceeded all the other, and
iS borne before her a banner all of
white, and red within. With this sight
the Saracens were so abashed, that they
lacked spirit and force to go any further,
and so stood still, and the ladies before
them. Also it was shewed me that the
Genoways had a great dog in their com-
pany, that they brought with them, but they
knew not from whence he came, there was
none that challenged the dog to be his ;
which dog did them great service, for the
Saracens could never come so privily to
scrimmish, but the dog would bay and
make such bruit, that he would not rest
till such as were asleep were awaked.
Every man knew, when they heard the dog
bay, that the Saracens were coming to
scrimmish with them, whereby ever they
apparelled themselves to resist them. The
Genoways called the dog olu Lady's dog.
The same season that the Saracens stood
still in a trance and the ladies before them,
this dog was not idle, bat he made great
bruit and ran baying first to the stand
watch : the lord of Coucy and sir Henry
d'Anloing kept the watch that night.
When every man heard this dog make such
bruit, they rose and anned them ready, for
they knew well that the Saracens did ap-
proach to awake them : and true it was
that the Vii^in Mary and her company
was before them, to defend the Christian
men from all perils, so that they took that
night no maimer of damage, for the Sara-
cens durst not approach, but returned to
their lodgir^gs ; and after thai the Christian
men took better heed to their watch.
The Saracens, knights and squires, such
as were in the town of Afrique, and speci-
ally such as had seen these ladies, were so
abashed that they wist not what to think ;
and the Christian knights and squires that
lay at the sifge studied day and night how
they might win the town, and they within
studied again how to defend their town.
The season was hot and drj;, for the sun
was in his most strength, as m the month
of August, and the marches of Afriiiie ate
right hot by reason of the sand, and also
they he nearer to the aun than we be. And
the wines that the Christian men had came
from Puylle and Calabre, and they be hot
and dry, far from the nature of the French
wines, whereby many fell into hot fevers.
And to consider according to reason, I
cannot tell how the Frenchmen and other
40i THE CHROXICLES OF FROISSART
of low countries could endure the pain of
the hot and gK>ss air i ha: ; hey found there CHAPTER CLXVIII [CLXXin
\(ithout refreshir^ of g^vxl, swee: and fresh ■•
water, which they lacked there : yet they . SCMMAR Y. — The Saracem wen H
de(a-.:lt ot v:j:u.il>. and some season they
had enc>Ui;h c.v:ii:i^ fr^m Sicily ar.d from
other i>!c> ad; ^::iin^. Such as were whole
coraLTUv. :hc::i :n.i: were disease.;, and CHAPTER CLXIX [CLXXIII]
such as had victuals de:^ar:evl with them
iha: bc'xed. o:hv.Tw:se :hev cou^i no: have SL'.V.VARY.—Jousis wereh^ldinUti^
endure^.': :hev deal: each' w-::h o:her like ^.^irthtuast of Saint ^Iichaelinthhf8^
brethren aoviVricnij^ The ior : of C^ucv »»«-' J'-^-t^ knights challenged all i'mei
s-.vciallv had :he chief res. r: of gen::e=en*: '* '••"« 'Y Ostrevant uns disHnguiski^
hV c.v.::.l Ixfhave hinise'.f swe-i'.v amor^g tijs tcnm^y^ and accepted the ordtrefm
:he:n. :n-ch l<»::cr :han :he duke'o: Bo-r- ^-^''ii^;' cy which he goa^ offemt t9 ^
boil I for the duke was s^^niewha: of an Frerwh fftttg.
hi^h ooura^^e, :^r^ud ar..I iTesumptuous,
nor sjMke nj: Sv^ sw.»e:ly r..^r so hun^bly :o
kni5:h:>, s.;uiros and strangers as the lord CHAPTER CLXX [CLXXHl
o: Coucy duL >[.^s: comnurdy the duke
of Bourbon wvjM 5:: all vtay wi:hou: his Sr.V.VARV.—The izege of Afnqm^
:er.: w::h his le-^s across, and whosoever rsLed, Tartly because of the affnaik4
wou'.d sivak wi:h him it beh.n*e».: him : > -zinur and 'sartlr because it xeas iktff
have a yrjcurer and ;.^ nuke ^ea: rever- .-ijL*.*:<r GerueseccuZd not 6e tntsted. n
ence. He c^.>nsi/.erevl njt :he s:a:e of poor S^rjurens zfter this -acere muck monfe^
:n;n so wel'. as the I.^rd Coucy did : where- -nJ kett :\e sea and especially the siratif
fjre he was :n?re in the ^race and love cf .l/^r.v"v. u tia^ ski/s could not fta*'
.iuke of Bo.-.rV-.'r. iv.iny :ea:s and er.:er-
r rises were le*: ur..:,^ne : :: was the ocinion
;v\^ ;;'::" I "' • ^-^ • -*"^ =^' chapter clxxi [clxx\i
iT^ninr --'un ^-.r*^*..-; :^n: :j jjsau.': : ;.-• CHAPTERS CLXXII. CLXXIII
t^nrny in ivii^i z::2ul::\iy '.::: nj .'ess r^.^r [CLXXVI. CLXX VII]
sixty hnigits ^inJ j.^uires.
1 • It was the c^zc of manv -Ju: he k«c :>* Sr.V.yAJC y.—Azn^fjhn of Cjt,.V> .rf
tavBfeaa&bdn^takei.' -f- rtenry -i:: icn^ m.n-rzid fj :ie Ail^
l^n*.\ss:er s jaugi:e^. -acas cr-jTsmeJ kinS'
PETER DE CRAON
405
The young earl af Armagtiae went into
tibardy to hdp his brolker - in - has
rtwha Visconti against Caleaato Viscenii,
Cic of Milan. He laid siege to AUssan-
Jo, where he vxis taken prisoner and ditd
misadvenlure. So his companies
~acd in great distress.
CHAPTER CLXXrV [CLXXVIII]
this said season there was a ksighl of
■nee of the countiy of Anjou, a gentle
iglil and of noble extraction, called sir
» of Craon, marvellously well beloved,
1 specinlly with ihe duke of Touraine,
about the duke nothing was done but
him. Also this knight held a great
3te about the duke of Anjou, who was
ledkingofNapIes, Sicily and Jeiusalem,
I also he was rich. A slander was
lught upon him thiongh the realm of
ICCE, bow be bad robbed the young
^ of Sicily, duke of Anjou ; for the
•ch bruit the said sir Peter absented
:iself from the young king and from his
Iher, wba bad been wife to the old
tc of Anjou. Howbeit, be dealt so that
■was well beloved with the French king
I with his brother the duke of Touraine :
3 [he same senson sir Oliver of Clisson,
then constable of France, was greatly in
□or with the king and with Ihe duke of
uraine, which (avour he had got by
Bon of the good service that he had
te in arms, as welt in France as else-
ere, in the king's days and in bis father's
•%, king Charles ; and sir Oliver of
Uoq's daughter had wedded John of
itayne, broflier-geiman to the queen of
usolem. And this sir Oliver Clisson,
reason of the alliance that he had by
marriage of John of Bretayne, was
»tly in the diike of Brelayne's indigna-
I, insomuch that Ihe duke held him for
mortal enemy and John of Brelnyne in
I wise, and the duke of Bretayne re-
led him that be h^ul not slain sir Oliver
i^tiHson when he had him in prison in
caslle of Ermine. This sir Pcler of
Craon was in such lavour with the duke of
Bretayne, that he might do with him what
he list ; he was his cousin : and while he
was in favour with the French king and
with the duke of Touraine, he would gladly
have brought out of the king's favour sir
Oliver of CHsSon Ihe constable, if he could
have brought it about. Thus Ihe envious,
which covertly always hath reigned in
France, dissimuHug their matters till they
The constable of France had always
been so true in all his deeds to the crown
of France, thai every man loved him ex-
cept the duke of Burgoyne, wlio loved him
nothing. The haired came by the duchess
of Burgoyne, who was a lady of h^b
courage ; for she could not love Ihe con-
stable, for the duke of Bretayne was near
of blood to her, and all that her father the
earl of Flanders loved, she loved, and such
as he hated, she did the same ; she was of
Ihal condition. This sir Peter of Craon,
while he was in Ihe Flench court and
great with the duke of Touraine, be wrote
oftentimes to the duke of Bretayne secretly
everything that he knew, and the duke
ie again to him. The effect of their
ings 1 could not know : howbeit, I,
John Froissart, author of this history, on a
time when I was at Paris, on a night when
a great mischief was likely to have fallen
upon sir Oliver Clisson, constable of
{'ranee, by a marvellous enlerptise of sir
Peter of Craon, as I shall hereafter more
plainly declare, when lime shall requite ;
and because I saw the mailer dark and
obscure and likely to be great trouble and
danger, I did all the pain I could to know
the ground and occasion of the matter,
why .'iir Peter of Craon was so suddenly
banished from Ihe French king's love and
the duke of Touraine's. Such search I
made and such enquiry of Ihem that knew
the mallet, that some of them informed me
of the truth, as the feme and renown tan.
First Ihe duke of Touraine was displeased
with this sir Peter of Ctaon through his
own fault, for he disclosed the secretness
that was between Ihe duke of Touraine
and another lady. If he did so, he did
evil.
cavertlr have
i
4o6
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
The duke of Touraine as then had such
favour to sir Peter of Craon, that he took
him as his companion and ware ever like
apparel and had him always with him,
wheresoever he went, and shewed him all
his secrets. This duke of Touraine as
then was young and amorous and gladly
would company with ladies and damosels
and sport him among them ; and specially,
as it was shewed me, he loved entirely a
fair lady of Paris, young and fresh. His
love and secrets were known in such wise
that it turned to great displeasure to the
duke, and he wist not whom to blame but
sir Peter of Craon, for the duke had shewed
him all his secrets in that matter and had
taken him in his company when he would
secretly speak with the said young lady.
The duke on a time promised the said lady
a thousand crowns of gold, so that he
might have his pleasure of her, but the lady
as then refused it and said how she loved
him not for his gold nor silver, but pure
love inclined her to bear him her good
will ; but as for gold or silver, she would
not sell her honour. All these words and
promises were known by the duchess of
Touraine, who incontinent sent for the
said young lady into her chamber. Then
she called her by her name and in great
displeasure said : * Wilt thou do me wrong
with my lord my husband?' The young
lady was abashed, and all weeping said :
* Nay, madam, by the grace of God I never
did think it, nor never will.' Then the
duchess said : * Thus it is : I am informed
that my lord my husband loveth you and
you him, and the matter so rar gone
between you, that in such a place and at
such a time he promised you a thousand
crowns of gold to have his pleasure of you :
howbeit, ye did refuse it as then, wherein
ye did wisely, and therefore as at this time
I pardon you ; but I charge you as dearly
as ye love your life, that ye commune nor
talk no more with him, but suffer him to
pass and hearken not to his communing.'
Then when the young lady saw herself
accused of truth, she answered and said :
'Madam, I shall deliver me from him as
soon as I can, and shall so deal that ye
shall have no cause of displeasure in this
\99,J Therewith the duchess gave her
I depart, and so she returned to her
si!
HO
'I;
C5
The duke of Touraine, who knew »Ig
thing of this matter, and as he that eiiti4l|,
loved this young lady, fortuned on a (hy*
come whereas she was. When she *
him, she eschewed his company and flik
him no manner of semblant of l^'^ |j,
did clean contrary to that she had •
before ; for she durst not, and also i
had sworn and promised to the dwl*
When the duke saw her countenance^
was pensive and thought he wooMtaJ JJ'^,
why she dealt so strangely, and denaaJJ
of her the cause of her strangeness. *»
young lady all weeping said: 'Sir,^.
have bewrayed your love and the st^
promise and offer that ye made me, to^
lady your wife or else some other, tjj
member you well to whom ye have djei*
your secretness, for, sir, I was in
danger by my lady your wife and by
other, and I have sworn and pronii»*
that after this time I will never o ^
nor talk with you, whereby she
have any jealousy. * When the duke
that, they were sore words to hio *
greatly to his displeasure, and said: '«
my fair lady, I swear to you by OT
that rather than this matter should
been shewed to my wife, [I would] th^|
had lost a hundred thousand frank& ^
ye have sworn, keep your promisCiJ
whatsoever it cost me, I will know
truth, who hath bewrayed our secrets.'
Thus the duke departed from the
lady and made no semblant as then,
patiently suffered. Howbeit, he tl
the more, and at night came to his
supper and shewed her more token of
than ever he did before ; and he ^
much with fiiir words that the due'
shewed him all the matter and how
she knew it by sir Peter of Craon.
the duke spake no more at that
That night passed, and the next day
nine of the clock he took his horse
rode from the house of Ssunt-Pol to
castle of Louvre, where he found the
his brother hearing of mass. The
sweetly received him, for he loved
entirely, and the king saw well by
duke's manner that he had some
pleasure in his mind and said : ' Ah,
brother, what is the matter ? It
ye be troubled.' *Sir,* quoth he, *
cause why.' 'Wherefore?* quoth
w^
PETER DE CRAON
'I pray you shew me.' The duke,
ivould hide nolbing fiom the king,
A him all the whole Tnal.ter, and c
d greatly against sir Peter of C[
■-"-' ' Sir, by the faith that I ow
:, I would slay him.' ' We shall do
^ongh,' quoth the king: 'he shall
uned by our council '
like
> avoid yont house and company. ' ' I
ill content with this,' quolh the duke.
; same day the lord de la Riviere and
ihn Mercier said unto sir Peter of
. on the king's behalf that he should
the king's court and service and go
he list. In like wise sir John of
and the lord of Herbault, seneschal
Tiraine, gave him like commandment
! duke of Tontine's behalf. When
(er of Ctaon saw this, he was abashed
Mk it in great despite, and could not
■le why it should be ; and true it was,
•ired to come into the king's presence
le duke's, to know tbe cause of their
asnie ; but he was answered that
r the king nor the duke would not
lim speak. When he saw none other
y, he apparelled himself and departed
f Paris in great displeasure in his
and so rode into Anjou to a castle
own called Sable, and tarried there a
1 soce troubled in his mind : he saw
e was chased out of the French court
lit of the house of Touraine and also
" the house of the queen of Naples
erusalem. Then when he perceived
three houses closed from him, he
nt to go to the duke of Bretayne his
and to shew him all his adventures :
did, and rode into Bretayne and
the duke at Vannes, who made him
cheer &nd knew somewhat before of
mble, and then this sir Peter shewed
di the case. When the duke of
rne had well heard all the matter, he
' Fair cousin, recomfort yourself r all
surely brought about by sir Oliver
3 toot and foundation of hatred muili-
>reatly aller, as ye shall hear in this
1, Sir Peter of Craon tarried so long
he duke of Bretayne, that he forgat
- ^ for the conslable, sir Oliver of
IL
Clisson, and the king's council w
him : and also they were not C(
the duke of Bretayne ii
Peter Craon in his house
of Bielayne, he cared n
for the good will i
French king : '
e aganm
with
that he kept sir
As for the duke
t greatly neither
jvil will of the
provided sufficiently for
nis cities, towns and castles in such wise
that he loved as well war as peace, and all
that ever he did was well known in France
and with the king's council. And such as .
were next about the king reputed the duke
of Bretayne proud and presumptuous, and
threatened him greatly, but the duke did
set little thereby, and said that he would
make war against the eart of Penthievre in
a just quarrel ; • for the earl of Penthievre
our cousin viriteth and nameth himself
tohn of Bretayne, as though he were
eritor of this country : I will he be called
John, for that is his name, and ear] of
Penthievre, and I will he put out of his
arms the ermines and write himself John
of Blois or of Chatillon, and none other;
and if he will not do this, I shall cause
him to do it and take from him his land,
for he holdeth it by faith and homage of
us : as for the herit^e of Bretayne, he
hath nothing to do therewith, so that it
should return to him, for I have both sons
and daughters, that shall be mine heirs.
Let him purchase him lands in some other
place, for as of this he hath failed.' Thus
oftentimes the duke of Bretayne would
devise witb sir Peter of Craon, who wonld
not reply against his pleasure, but rather
did further it, and all for the evil will
that he bare to the constable, sir Oliver of
Clisson, and to the council of France.
Now let us leave speaking of this matter
and treat a little of another piteous matter
concerning the earl Guy of Blois, of whom
mention is made herebefore in this
SUMMARY.—Lsut! afChatilhn,
(he carl of Blois and
cf Berry, died of a fe
In tie samf uasm
Feix, and the county
by the French king.
■law to the duie ^^^^^^H
eari of. ^^^^^|
<ix was claimed ^^^^^^^H
rasever rtiigntd' ^^^^^^^^M
4oS
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
his claim and allowed the viscount of CcuteU
bon to inherit both Biarti and Foix,
A treaty was mcuie between the king of
France and the duke of Brittany ^ with
marriages agreed to of the son and daughter
of the duke of Brittany to the daughter of
the king of France and the son of John of
Brittany,
The earl of Blois and his wife sold the
county of Blois to the duke of Touraine,
much to their discredit.
CHAPTER CLXXX [CLXXXIV]
SUMAfARY.^The dukes of Lancaster,
York and Gloucester came without the king
of England to meet the French king at
Amiens, The treaty failed, because the
Englishmen dared not consent to give up
Calais, for fear of the commons of England,
and an embassy sent to England to see the
king and his council wcls also without
effect.
The French kingwcLS sick of a fever and
remained at Beauvais till Ascension-tide.
CHAPTER CLXXXI [CLXXXV]
How sir Peter of Craon through evil will
by subtle craft beat down sir Oliver of
CHsson, wherewith the king and his coun-
cil were sore displeased.
Ye have well heard herebefore how sir
Peter of Craon, who was a knight of great
lineage, but he was far out of the French
king's grace and the duke of Touraine's :
if he did so much to cause them to be dis-
pleased with him, he did evil.* Ye have
heard also how he was gone into Bretayne
to the duke, who shewed him that the evil
will that the king bare him was by the
means of sir Oliver of Clisson. It may
well be that he was so informed, in that he
had so great hate to the constable, sir
Oliver of Clisson, for he studied ever after
how to destroy him. Thus while sir Peter
of Craon was with the duke of Bretayne,
they would oftentimes commune together
3 The translator is responsible for the form of
'■■«i».M^ Froissart says: *Ye have heard
•-• P*ter of Craon . . . fell out of
and devise how tbey might bring v<
of Clisson to death, for they said d
he were once dead, there was dm
would greatly revenge his deatL
duke repented him that he bad Dd
him when he had him in prison, and
as then that it had cost him a bo
thousand franks that he had him ag
his will. When sir Peter of Crac
that the duke had such hatred to sir
of Clisson, he purposed a marvello
agination in himself; for by appe
men should give judgment. This
thought, howsoever it were, that he
slay the constable, and thought to
to nothing else till he had slain hi
his own hands or caused him to b
and afterward entreat for peao
doubted nothing John of Blois i
son of the viscount of Rohan, ^
wedded two of the constable's dai
he thought to do well enough wit
as long as the duke was on his {
he saw well the strength, and puis
Blois was greatly feeblished, for
Guy of Blois had sold the heritage
to the duke of Touraine, which sh(
run by succession to the earl of Pe
John of Blois, whereby he though
duke of Touraine shewed him \
love nor alliance of lineage, to
his inheritance : wherefore this
thought, if sir Oliver of Clisson w
soon to appease the king's evil wi
duke of Touraine's, and thereby
overcome the lord de la Rivier
John Mercier, Montague and the
Villaines and sir John of Bueil an^
the king's chamber, such as sust
constable, for he knew well that
of Berry and the duke of Burgo;
them nothing inwardly, whatsoi
shewed outwardly. Thus sir Petei
persevered still in his opinion ar
in his imagination by the entici
devil, who never sleepeth, but W2
embraseth their hearts to do evi
clineth to his exhortation. Thus
daily laid the matter before thij
eyen, or he put the matter to e
but if he had justly imagined tl
and perils and mischievousness tl
fall by his evil deed, reason j
attemperance should have cause
have done otherwise. But it is c
ATTACK ON THE CONSTABLE, 139a {Jum 14)
409
Ht Ihe great ile^re that a man hach
".he execation of that thing or it be
oftendmes queocheth reason and
; IherefOTe oftentimes vices are
I, snd virtues violate and corrupted,
that EpeciElly this sir
if Ctbod bad so great affection to
0 of the constable, therefore
ply inclined to the temptation to do
\ and folly, and thought that if he
pay the constable and return again
auto Brelayne, that no man would
n there : & they did, he trusted that
' e would excuse him, and that if
it fell, that the French king came
\ with a Erent puissance, then in 1
r into a ship and so to go to
> Bayonne or into England,
e be (bought well he should not
] : for be knew well that Ibe
a hated the constable because
I cruelties that he had done and
) be done sith he was turned
.; howbeil, before that he had done
Osoy notable services to the Englishmen,
uilhath been rehearsed hcrebefore in this
Ustory.
Sit Peler of Craoo, for to accomplish
Ks desire had long studied in his mind
'En \n bring his purpose to pass, and kept
jii purpose close and secret. I know not
if w shewed it to the duke of Bretayne or
Wi some thought yes, because after the
W done by him and his company he
Iwh the next way he could into Brelayne,
«'l Idok for his safe-guard the duke of
fircuyne, and also before the deed done
^ solil his castles and heritage that he
I^\ in Anjou lo the duke of Bretayne and
'Wied his homage to the French king, and
>*iit how he would go over the sea. Of
''I ibeM ttiBlters I pass briefly, but I shall
-■'.i(e the deed ; for I, sir John Froissart,
i-liit of this history, when this unhappy
' "1 was done by sir Peter of Craon against
■ 'lliver of Clisson, I was the same time
I'aris, wherefore I ought to be well
-'irmcd of the matter according lo the
I ;iiiry that I made therein to know the
"vih. The same time this sir Peter had
a of Paris a fair house standing
chyard of Saint John's, as divers
■"""' '-~\ the cily for Ihcir plea-
r that a jnui hath to thlii^^
sure, In this house Ibere was a keeper.
Sir Peter of Craon had sent of his servants
to Paris, and they provided largely in the
house with wine, corn, flesh, salt and other
provisions : also he had written lo the
keeper that he should buy certain armour,
as coats of steel, gauntlets, stoles and other
harness for forty men, and that done to
send him word thereof to Ihe intent that
he would send for them, and secretly all
this to be done. The keeper, who thought
none evil, and to obey his master's com-
mandment, bought ail this merchandise ;
and all this season he was in a castle of
his own in Anjou, called Sabl^, and he sent
one week three or four servants to his
house in Paris, and so weekly, till he had
there a forty, and shewed them nothing
for what cause he sent them thither, but
be cliaiged them to keep themselves close
in his house in any wise, and whatsoever
they lacked, the keeper of his house should
you the c
fore, and ye shall
day I shall shew
wages.' They
privily to Paris and ei
by night and in Ihe n
the gates of Paris n
;red i
o the hous
s then
and day stood
open, mere assemniea m that house so
many together, that they were a forty com-
panions, hardy men and outrageous ; how-
beil, there were some that if they had
known wherefore they came thither, they
would not have come there ; yet they kept
themselves secret.'
Then at the feast of Pentecost sir Peter
of Craon came to Paris secretly and entered
into his house disguised like a servant :
then he called for tlie porter that kept the
gate and said : ' 1 command thee on pain
of thy life let no man, woman nor (iild
enter into this house, nor none to go out
without my commandment.' The porter
obeyed, as it was reason, and so did the
keeper, and he commanded the keeper's
wife and her children lo keep her chamber
and not to issue out thereof ; wherein he
did wisely, for if the woman and children
bad gone abroad in the streets, the coming
Ihither of sir Peter Craon had been known,
for children and women naturally are hard
to keep counsel of Ihttl thing a man would
■ 'But he took jood care not lo disclose hU
4IO
THE CHROmCLES OF FROISSART
have kept secret. Thus sir Peter and his
company were secretly in his house till the
flay of tnc Holy Sacrament,* and every day
sir Peter had abroad his spies that brought
him word of the state of sir Oliver Clisson ;
and till that day he could find no time to
execute his enterprise, wherewith he was
sore displeased in himself. The said day
the French king kept a feast vrith open
court with all the lords that were there ;
also the queen and the duchess of Touraine
were there in great joy and solace. The
same day after dinner the young lusty
knights were armed and jousted valiantly
in the presence of the king and of the
queen and other ladies and damosels, and
continued till it was near night ; and by
the judgment of the ladies and heralds the
prize was given to sir Guilliam of Flanders,
carl of Namur. And the king made all
the lords and ladies a great supper, and
after supper danced till it was one of the
clock alter midnight : then every man de-
parted to their lodgings, some to one place
and some to another without fear or doubt
of anything. Sir Oliver of Clisson, who as
then was constable of France, departed
from the king's palace last of all other,
and had taken his leave of the king and
then went through the duke of Touraine's
chamber and said to him : * Sir, will ye
tarry here all night, or else go to your
lodging of Poulain ? ' ^ This Poulain was
the duke*s treasurer and dwelt a little
l)eside the sign of the Lion of Silver.^
Then the duke said : * Constable, I cannot
tell as yet whether I do tarry here or ebe go
thither. Go ye your way to your lodging,
for it is time.' Then sir Oliver took
his leave of the duke and said : * Sir, God
send you good night * ; and so departed,
and in the street he found his servants
and his horse, an eight persons and two
torches : then he rode forth to enter into
the high street of Saint Katherine's.
Sir Peter of Craon had the same night
laid good spial on sir Oliver of Clisson, and
knew well that he was bidden behind his
company with the king and that his horse
tarried at the king's gate for him. Then
1 That is, Corpus Christi, which in that year fell
on X3th June. * ' Chez Poullain.'
« TTiaFt^och text adds, Mn the Croix-du-Tiroir,'
■*»r probably was not acquainted with
urrefoar, situated at the crossing of
' and the rue de I'Arbre-Sec.
he mounted on his horse, and all his cob*
pany well armed covertly, and there pari
not six of his company that knew mi '■■
tent And when he came into Siii
Katherine's street, there he tarried vk
abode privily for the constable's coiBii{:
and as soon as the constable was isael
out of the street of Saint- Pol and cameiii
the high street, and his torches beside liiii
and came riding, talking with a sqimt i
his, saying: 'To-morrow I must mtTci
dinner with me the duke of Touraine, tk
lord Coucy, sir John of Vienne, sir CImiIb
d' Angers, the baron of Ivry and difCR
other, wherefore speak to my steward tht
they lack nothing ' : and saying of tboK
words, sir Peter Craon and his comps^
came on him, and at the first they sbnke
out the torches. And when the constabk
heard the rushing of the horses bdund
him, he thought it had been thedokeof
Touraine, that had followed and sported
with him, and said : ' Ah, sir, it is evil
done : but I pardon you ; ye axe yooog
and full of play and sport.' With those
words sir Peter of Craon drew out his
sword and said : * Slay the constable, slay
him, for he shall die.' 'What art thoo,'
quoth Clisson, 'thatspeakest those words?*
* I am Peter of Craon, thine enemy : th*
hast so oftentimes displeased me, that do«
thou shalt make amends ' : and therewith
strake at the constable, and sir Peter's
men drew out their swords and strake it
the constable, who had no weapon bot
a short knife of two foot of length and
defended himself as well as he might, and
his men were without armour and soon put
abroad from their master. Then sir Peter's
men said : * Shall we slay them all ?* * Yea,'
quoth sir Peter, ' all such as make any d^
fence. ' Their defence was but small, for they
were but eight persons and without armour.
Sir Peter demanded nothing but the death
of the constable. Some that were there,
when they knew it was the constable,
they gave him but faint strokes, for a thing
done by treason is done cowardly without
any hardiness. The constable defended
himself valiantly with that weapon that he
had : howbeit, his defence had vailed him
but little, an the great grace of God had
not been. Still he sat on his horse till he
had a full stroke on the head, with which
stroke he fell from his horse right against a
lit
XL
'£
'iker's door, who was up and busy to bulte
L -ail, and had left his dooi half open,
' lijch was happy for the constable : for as
feU from bis horse, he fell against the
iiir, and the door opened and he fell in at
\- doot, and ihey that were a-horseback
inild not enter after him, the door was too
I w and too little. God shewed great grace
^ the constable ; for if he bad fallen in
l.L- street, as he did in al the dooi, or if
lix door had been shut, he had been
■hm without remedy. But they that were
.1 hoiseliack ducst not alight, and also Ibey
ilmught, and so did sir Peter, that on the
BDke that he had on the head, that nl
last' it should be his death's wound. Then
ar Peter said : ' Go we hence ; we have
Aim enongh : for if he be not dead, he
Hill die on the Blroke that he hath on the
iiad, for it was a great stroke.' There-
will they departed and tode away a good
wee to the gate of Saint Antony and rode
001 thereat ; for as then the gate was open
find hod been ten year, sitn the French
tog relumed ftom the battle of Rose-
^ue, and that the said constable put
*iwn the raalles of Paris and punished
ll™ for their rebellions.
Thus sir Oliver de Clisson was left in
ii'i case, as a man half dead and more, in
:!■; baker's house, who was sore abashed
■ilisn he knew it was the constable : as for
li;i men, had little hurt, for sir Peter and
-IS men looked for nothing but to have
•j.iiii the constable. Then ai Oliver's men
■iiiL'mbled logelher and entered into the
inter's house and there found Iheir master
•■■re hurt on the head and the blood running
I'lin by his visage, wherewith they were
- lit abashed, and good cause why : there
raplaL
. they
•iJicd he had been dead.
Anon tidings hereof came to the king's
' "lipng and it was said to the king as he
»is going to his bed : ' Ab, sir, we cannot
liiilc from you the great mbchicf that is
now suddenly fallen in Paris.' 'What
mischief is that?' quoth (he king. 'Sir,'
quoth they, 'your constable, sir Oliver of
Cllsson, is slam.' 'Slain,' quoth the king,
'.mil how so, and who hath done that
annot
hereby in the street of Saint Kathcrine.'
'Wei!,' quoth the king, 'light up your
torches ; I will go and see him.' Torches
anon were lighted up. The king put on
a cloak and his slippers on his feet : then I
snch as kept watch the same night went
forth with the king, and such as were abed
and heard of these tidings rose up in haste
and followed the king, who was gone forth
with a smalt company ; for the king tarried
for no man, bnt went forth with them of
his chamber with torches before hira and
behind him, and had no more chamber-
lains with him but sir William Martet
and sir Helion of Neilhac. Thus the king
came to Ihe baker's house and entered, and
certain torches tarried without. Then the
king found his constable near dead, as it
was shewed him, but not fully dead, and
his men had taken off all bis gear to see
his wounds, how he was hurt ; and the
lirst word that ibe king said was : ' Con-
stable, how is it with you ? ' ' Dear sir,'
quoth he, 'right feebly.' 'Who hath
brought you in this case?' quoth the
king. 'Sir,' quoth be, 'Peter of Craon
and his company traitorously and without
defence.'' 'Constable,' quoth the king,
there was never deed so dearly bought
% this shall be.' Then physic
L Ptrbapjf a rnupiint for
I least ': the French
ble is in and shew me the truth, for I
am sorry of his hurl.' Then they searched
his wounds in every part. Then the king
demanded of them and said: 'Sirs, how
say you? Is he in any peril of death?'
They all answered and said ; ' Sir, surely
there is no jeopardy of deatli in him, but
that within these jifteeil days he shall be
able lo ride.' With that answer the king
was right joyous and said : 'Thanked be
God: these be good tidings': and then
said ; ' Constable, be of ^lod cheer and
care nothing, for there was never trespass
sorer punished than this shall be upon the
traitors that have done this deed ; for I
lake this matter as mine own.' The con-
stable with a feeble voice answered : 'Sir,
God reward yonr grace for your noble
visitation.' Then the king took his leave
and departed and returned to his lodging
' ' ■' ' ' for the provost 3
vidiDUI deGandE.' .
412
THE CHRONICLES OF PROtSSART
Paris, and by that tune that he came it
was clear daylight. Then the king com-
manded him and said : ' Provost, get you
men together well horsed and pursue that
traitor sir Peter of Craon, who tnus traitor-
ously hath hurt nigh to the death our
constable. Ve cannot do to us a more
acceptable service than to pursue and take
him and bring him to us.' Then the pro-
vost answered and said : ' Sir, I shall do
all that lieth in my puissance to do. Sir,
can your grace know which way he is
gone?* 'Enquire,' quoth the king, *and
do your diligence.'
CHAPTERS CLXXXII, CLXXXIII
[CLXXXVI, CLXXXVII]
SUMMARY,— Sir Peter of Croon was
purstud^ hut escaped to Sable attd then to
Brittany i where he was reproached by the
duke for not having killed the constable.
The French king sent to the duke of
Brittany to demand that Peter de Craon
should be given up^ and he denied all know-
ledge of him.
The French king therefore prepared an
army to go into Brittany.
CHAPTER CLXXXIV [CLXXXVII]
How the duke of Touraine, brother to the
king, resigned the duchy of Touraine into
the king's hands, and how by exchange
the king gave him the duchy of Orleans,
and so ever after he was called duke of
Orleans. ^
In the same season that the king was thus
nigh ready to depart out of Paris to shew
that he took that business as to himself,
there was an exchange made of lands,
greatly to the profit of the duke of Tou-
raine : for he resigned into the king's hands
the duchy of Touraine, and the king gave
him the duchy of Orleans, in like manner as
anciently duke Philip of Orleans held it,
which was four times better in value than
the other was. So thus from henceforth in
this history I shall name him that was duke
of T'^Tftine duke of Orleans.
** •<• OUver of Clisson was all whole
cmly to the first few
rife
lof f
did I
bd :
and that he might ride, the Frendi Uk
was right joyiiil and said how he wnw
tarry no kmger, and so on an eveoiDg k
took leave of the queen Isabel his wife^
and of the new duchess of Orleans and
all other ladies and damosels, and so
the duke of Orleans in like wise. Hm
they departed and rode to supper to Mod*
tague,^ and the duke of Boorlwn, the cul
of Namur and the lord of Coucy with hia
There the king lay and dined there, ad
after dinner they departed and lay all nif^
at Saint-Germain's, and there lay a sera
days. And as then the king was someiAtf
diseased, and his physicians would hive
had him to have rested himself; hot tlie
king was so willing in his journey, thit he
said how he was much better at his esse
than he was indeed, which he did to give
courage to his men to set forward, for is
then his two uncles the dukes of Berry and
Burgoyne were behind and shewed well b]f
their manner that the same journey grieved
them, nor they would not have gone hf
their good wills. Howbeit, they had made
their assembly and to save their hoDOor
they obeyed and followed.
When the French king had rested him
a fifteen days at Saint-Germain's, and that
his army was assembled, then he departed
and passed the river of Seine and took his
way to Chartres and so to Auneau, a good
town and a castle pertaining to the lord de
la Riviere as heritage of his wife's. \\'idi
the king was his brother the duke of
Orleans and the duke of Bourbon. The
lord de la Riviere received the king honour-
ably, and there tarried three days and
then rode to Chartres, whereas Montague
was bishop. The kine was lodged in the
bishop's palace, and the two dukes, and
the second day after thither came the duke
of Berry and the earl of March in his com-
pany, and the fourth day thither came the
duke of Burgojrne, whereof the king was
right joyful. And people came daily, and
the king said he would not return to Paris
till he had brought the duke of Bretaype
to reason, who so oftentimes had put him
to pain and trouble. The king's council
had so set him on that war, that the dukes
of Berry and of Burgoyne would gladly
have modered the matter, but they could
1 'Che2 Montagu.' This is Jean MontaigOi
councillor of Charles VI.
FKE.VCH EXPEDITION TO BRITTANY
413
I"? heard; whercwilh ihey were sore
!■- Jsed, and so were such aa were of
r coancils, and they said each to olher
.: surely the matter could nol loi>E endure
■i.at state, for it is full likely that the
l: and the realm shall have some busi-
■ tu do, sith the king refuaeth the
r;'el of his uncles and leanelh to other
ii pleosure, who be nothing like to
^^ li«n the king had tarried at Chartres a
11 days, then he departed and look the
.:■, ^o Mans, and his men followed, some
'^1 rai parU, as out of Artois, Beauvais,
iinatidois and Picatdj; and some said
■ (o another: 'Ah, this duke of Bte-
■ ne makcth ua to have much to do and
u^th na lo great patn and travail. He
Ml been always hard and high-hearted
/mist the crown of France, nor he never
'Hil noi honoured it: an his cousiti the
•■'■ of Flanders, and the duchess of Bur-
;'.rie, who hove always home him and as
kV do, had not been, he had been destroyed
lliig a(^ ; for ever aith the lord Clisaon
WiMd French, he never loved him. Surely
V oil likelihood he is culpable of this deed,
W he hath always sualained air Peter of
Mon against the king and against the
'lai.ible.' Then other said; 'Let the
■■■..: ^kine : for as at this time he hath the
' i.JiLer go at his heart, that he will bring
•heduke to reason, or he return.' "That
"> Irne,' qitolh other, 'if there be no
Ireaaan : but we Uai that all such as go
With the king be not enemies lo the duke,
as it may be well seen, if we dnrst speak it,
\>j some tokens ; for there be some that
n^ht and day do what they can to counsel
the king to break his voyage ; which ao
itoubleth the kitig, that he can scant get
himself any health or recovery of his last
sickness,' Thus knights and squires de-
vised among themselves, as they rode in
Uieir countries.'
Still the king approached to the city of
Mana ; and there the king lodged in the
Uttle and his lords in the city and his men
if war abroad in the country. There the
Vmg innied n three weeks, lor he was sore
"tied with the fever, and his physicians said
I" his brother anil to his uncles : ' My lords,
•t etisme von ye do evil to travail the king,
En he b m no good state to ride. Rest
^ 'Convctf^ Eu ihey rode over the couoTry.'
were far better for him, for sith he Came from
the city of Amiens, he hath not been in so
good health a.-! he was tiefore. ' Theyahewed
this to the king, but he had so great aJTec-
lion lo go in this joomey, that he would
nother believe them nor yet his physicians,
but said how he found more ease in travel-
ling than in resting : ' therefore whosoever
counsel me lo the contrary shall not please
me, nor he toveth me not.' Other answer
they could not have of the king. Every
day the king would sit in the midst of his
council till it was noon, to the intent that
none should lay any let of hia journey.
Thus the king being at Mans, and some-
what to accomplish the desires of his uncles,
he sent four notable knights to the duke of
Bretayne, as sir Raynold de Roye, the lord
of Garenderes, the lord of Chatcauinorand
and sir Tanpin of Chantemerle, chatelain of
Gisors ; and they were charged to shew the
duke how the king and his council reputed
that he did great offence to sustnin the
king's enemy and the realm's, and to make
amends that he should send sir Feler of
Ctaon to Mans to the king, whereby means
shonld be found that he should lake no
damage nor his country, for all the king's
voyage. Thus they departed from Mans
with a forty spears and passed through the
city of Angers and at last came before the
city of Nantes, and entered and there found
the duke, who made them good cheer and
on a day made them a dinner and then
they did their message and declared the
king's intent and his coimcil's. Where-
unlo Ihe duke answered wisely and sagely,
and said how it should be hard for him to
deliver sic Peter of Craon, and said, as
God might help him in all his business, he
knew not where he was. Wherefore he
desired them in that case to hold him ex-
cused ; but he said he had well heard of
him a year past, that he loved not sir Oliver
of Clisaon, hut would make him mortal war
lo his power, whatsoever end came thereof.
'And at that time I demanded of 'him if
he had given sir Oliver knowledge thereof,
and he said he had utterly defied, and
would slay him if he could either by day or
by nighf, wheresoever he could find him.
Of his deeds I know no fiirther ; wherefore
I have marvel that the king wilt make war
against me for hia cause ; for as lo the
of marriage between our children,
414
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
by the grace of God shall not be broken on
my part : wherefore I have done nothing
to him nor to his council, that he should
make war against me.*
This was the answer that the duke made
to the French king's messengers ; and so
when they had tarried a day at Nantes,
then they took their leave and departed
and returned to Mans to the king, who
thought long till he heard their answer ;
and as ye have heard before, they declared
it to the king and his council. The dukes
of Berry and of Burgoyne were well con-
tent with the answer and said it was reason-
able ; but the king, by reason of such
information as he had, said the contrary,
and said, sith he was so forward in his
journey, he would not return again into
France nor to Paris, till he had brought
the duke of Bretayne to reason. Gladly
the two dukes of Berry and of Burgoyne
would have modered that voyage ; but
they might not be heard, for the king had
taken such displeasure with the duke of
Bretayne, because he sustained sir Peter of
Craon, that no excusation could be taken.
The same time a bruit ran in France
that the queen of Aragon, my lady Yolande
of Bar, cousin-german to the French king,
had in prison in the city of Barcelona a
knight that no man knew his name : men
supposed it had been sir Peter of Craon.
This queen had written right amiably to
the king, signifying him that the fifth day
of the month of July a knight in good estate
and array came to Barcelona to have passed
the sea, and had hired for his money a
ship, as he said to have sailed into Naples ;
* and because we keep our passages that no
stranger shall pass, without he be known
what he is, and this knight will not shew
his name, therefore we keep him in prison ;
and by the abashment we see in him we
think surely it be the same person ye would
so fain have. Therefore we write to you
thereof, that ye should send some person
hither, such as knoweth sir Peter of Craon,
to see if it be he or not ; for whatsoever he
be, he shall not be delivered till we have
answer from you. And I would that these
tidings might be agreeable to you and to
your council, as knoweth the Holy Ghost,
who preserve you. Written at Perpignan
the ninth day of July by Yolande of Bar,
queen of Aragon and of M^Uorca and lady
of Sardinia.' And on the superscriptioD,
* To the redoubted king* of France.'
These tidings somewhat modered diven
men's hearts, so that they were near at the
point to have broken their voyage : hov*
beit, such as were sir Oliver of Clissoa's
friends said that those tidings were bat
feigned tales, made and devised to break
the king's voyage, sa)ring that sir Peter i.
Craon was in none other prison but witli
the duke of Bretayne, who hath sustained
him and doth. Of the queen of Aragoo's
letter the king made but light, saying it
was but treason and &.bles. Then the duke
of Burgoyne said : * Sir, yet at least to
appease my niece the queen of Aragoo,
and for the deliverance of the knight that
is there in prison, who peradventure is
nothing guilty of this trespass, send unto
her, that she may be content with you and
with us.' * I am content therewith,* quodi
the king, * to please you ; but I believe
surely the traitor sir Peter of Craon is in
none other Barcelona nor prison, but about
the duke of Bretayne, and by my &ith that
I owe to Saint Denis he shall once make
account thereof.' There could no man turn
the king from the opinion but that sir Peter
of Craon was with the duke of Bretayne.
The duke of Bretayne, who was well in-
formed of all this business, thought himsdf
not well assured ; for he saw well the
dukes of Berry and Burgoyne could not
bring their purpose about, for sir Oliver
of Clisson's friends led the king as they
list. Then the duke provided for to keep
his towns and garrisons : howbeit, he durst
keep no town except Vannes, Quimperl^
Dol, Quimper - Corentin, TErmine and
Sucinis ; and he wrote to such knights and
squires as he thought should aid him, but
they all dissimuled with him, because they
knew that the French king was so sore
displeased with him, and also they thought
it was not a thing convenable for the duke
to sustain sir Peter of Craon against the
constable of France, as he did. The duke
in a manner repented him that he had
done so much : howbeit, his courage and
heart was so high, that he disdained to
speak it, but said, if the king came into
Bretayne, as it seemed he would do, at the
beginning he would let him alone, *and
then shall I see who be my friends or foes.
I will not be too hasty to make him war ;
MADNESS OF THE KING OF FRANCE, 1393
aid whf n he weeneth to be at most rest,
then will I awake him, if I cannot be
agreed with him by love.' Thus the duke
devi&ed sometime with his council, Eind
thought surely he should have war. How-
beil, he bad not ; for the matters turned
oEherwise to his great advantage : there-
fore it is an old pioverb ; ' He 15 not poor
that is happy.' This duke was fortunate
by reason of a piteous incident that fell
suddenly on the French king ; for other-
wise the duke was not likely to have scaped
all dangers and to have lived in peace, as
he aid.
When the French king had tarried the
space of three weeks in the city of Mans,
and the knights relumed that he had sent
into Brelayne, then he said, sith he had
heard the duke's answer, he would no
longer tarry there, for he said the tarrying
there greatly displeased him, and would
pass forth into Brelayne to see his enemies,
that was the duke of Brelayne, who sus-
tained the traitor sir Peter of Craon, The
intention of the king was, that if any
knights and squires came against him, or
that he found any towns closed, he would
put down the duke for ever and set a
govemour in the country till the duke's
children were of lawful age, and theo
render to them the heritage, and the
duke never to have any port thereof. This
opinion the kine held still and no man
could put him Inereftom, and thus on a
fair day about ten of the clock the king
departed from the city of Mans and had
commanded his marshals the night before
to cause all his army both before and
behind to dislodge and to draw to Angers,
and said that he would not return till he
had been in Bretayne and destroyed the
traitors that had put him to so much pain
and trouble. The marshals did the king's
commandment
The day that the king departed was
marvellous hot, for the suu as then natur-
ally was in his chief force, and to the intent
to tieclajre the truth of everything, the same
season that the king lay at Mans he was
sore travailed with daily sitting in council,
and also he was not perfectly whole, nor
had not been all that season ; he was
fe?b!e in his brain and head and did eat or
drink but little, and nigh daily was in a
hat fever, so thai he was greatly annoyed
physicians spied well and so did his uncles,
hut they could not remedy it, for no man
durst counsel him to break his voys^e into
Brelayne. And as it was inform^ me, as
he rode forward in the forest of Mans, a
great signification fell to him, by the which,
if he had done well, he should have called
his council about him and well advised
himself, or he had gone any further.
Suddenly there came to the king a poor
man, bare-headed, bare-le^ed and bare-
footed, and on his body a poor white coat.
He seemed rather to be a fool than wise,
and boldly suddenly he look the bridle o)
the king's horse in his hands and stopped
the horse and said : ' Sir king, ride no
itirthcr forward, for thou art betrayed.'
Those words entered into the king's head,
whereby he was worse disposed in his
health than he was before, so that his heart
and his blood was moved. Then the
king's servants strake so the poor man,
that he let the king's horse go, and made
no more of his words than of a fool's speak-
ing ; which was folly, as divers men said:
for at the least Ihey should have belter
examined the man and to have seen if he
had been a natural fool or no, and to have
known from whence he came ; but they
did not so, but left him behind, and he
was never seen after to any man's know-
ledge; but such as were near to the king
heard him speak these words.
The king passed forth, and about twelve
of the clock the king passed out of the
forest and came into a great plain all
sandy. The sun also was in his he^ht and
shone bright, whose rays were marvellously
hot, whereby the horses were sore chafed
and all such persons as were armed were
sore oppressed with heat. The knights
rode tOTether by corapajiies, some here and
some there, and the king rode somewhat
apart because of the dust ; and the duke of
Berry and the duke of Burgoyne rode on
his left hand talking ti^ether, an acre
breadth of land off from the king. Other
lords, as the earl of March, sir Jacjue; of
Bourbon, sir Charles d'Albret, sir Philip
d'Artois, sir Henry and sir Philip of Bar,
sir Peter of N>ivarr<: and other knightsiode
i
4i6
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
by companies : the duke of Bourbon, the
lord Coucy, sir Charles de Hangest, the
baron d'lvry and divers other rode on be-
fore the king and not in his company, and
they devised and talked together and took
no heed of that fell suddenly on the chief
personage of the company, which was on
the king's own person. Therefore the
works of God are marvellous and his
scourges are cruel and are to be doubted
of all creatures. There hath been seen in
the Old Testament and also in the New
many figures and examples thereof: we
read how Nabugodonosor, king of Assyrians,
who reigned a season in such triumphant
glory that there was none like him, and
suddenly in his greatest force and glory the
sovereign King our Lord God, King of
heaven and of earth. Former and Ordainer
of all things, apparelled this said king in
such wise that he lost his wit and reign, and
was seven year in that estate, and lived by
acorns and mast that fell from the oaks and
other wild apples and fruits, and had taste
but as a boar or a swine ; and after he
had endured this penance, God restored
him again to his memory and wit, and
then he said to Daniel the prophet that
there was none other God but the God of
Israel. Now the Father, the Son and the
Holy Ghost, three persons in one God,
hath been, is and ever shall be as puissant
to shew his works as ever he was ; where-
fore no man should marvel of anything that
he doth.
Now to the purpose why I speak all
these words. A great influence from
heaven fell the said day upon the French
king, and as divers said, it was his own
fault, for according to the disposition of
his body and the state that he was in and
the warning that his physicians did give
him, he should not have ridden in such a
hot day at that hour, but rather in the
morning and in the evening in the fresh
air : wherefore it was a shame to them that
were near about him to suffer or to counsel
him to do as he did. Thus as the French
king rode upon a fair plain in the heat of
the sun, which was as then of a marvellous
height, and the king had on a jack covered
with black velvet, which sore chafed him,
and on his head a single bonnet ^ of scarlet
1 * A jacket of black velvet, which sore heated him,
-<t on nis head a simple bonnet,' etc.
and a chaplet of great pearls, whiditfae
queen had given him at nis departure, nd
he had a page that rode behind him beini
on his head a chapew of Montauban, bri^
and clear shining against the sun, m
behind that page rode another boflK
the king's spear, painted red and &iifei
with silk, with a sharp head of stni
the lord de la Riviere had brought a doa
of them with him from Toulouse, and tht
was one of them : he had given the uluk
dozen to the king, and the king had gtm
three of them to his brother the duke rf
Orleans and three to the duke of BouiboL
And as they rode thus forth, the page tint
bare the spear, whether it were by nerf*
gence or that he fell asleep, he let the
spear fall on the other page's head tint
rode before him, and the head of the speii
made a great clash on the bright chapev
of steel. The king, who rode but afcre
them, with the noise suddenly started,
and his heart trembled and into his in*
agination ran the impression of the words of
the man that stopped his horse in the forOt
of Mans, and it ran into his thought tfait
his enemies ran after him to slay and
destroy him ; and with that abusion he H
out of his wit by feebleness of his head,
and dashed his spurs to his horse and drew
out the sword and turned to his pages,
having no knowledge of any man, weeniiC
in himself to be in a battle enclosed witE
his enemies, and lift up his sword to strike,
he cared not where, and cried and said:
* On, on, upon these traitors I ' When
the pages saw the king so inflamed with
ire, they took good heed to themselves, as
it was time ; they thought the king had
been displeased because the spear felldowm
then they stepped away from the king.*
The duke of Orleans was not as then fti
off from the king. The king came to him
with his naked sword in his hand : the
king was as then in such a frenzy and his
heart so feeble, that he nother knew
brother nor uncle. When the duke of
Orleans saw the king coming on him with
his sword naked in his hand, he was
abashed and would not abide him : he
wist not what he meant : he dashed his
spurs to his horse and rode away, and the
king after him. The duke of Burgoyne,
1 * They set spurs to their horses, one this way
and another that ' : * stepte ' is probably a misprint.
t-
li
It
I
MAD/fESS OF Tim KING OF FRANCE
Rio rode a little way oR" from l!ie king,
Irfaen he heard the lushing of ihe horses
tvd heard ihe pages ciy, he regarded ihal
iny and saw how Ihe king with his naked
■^wird chased his bipthec the duke of
Cleans. He was sore abashed and said :
Oul, hairciw! what mischief ia this? The
::ing is not in his right mind, God help
> "It - Hy away, nephew, fly away, for the
-\ would slay you.' The duke of
I .-Lii^ was not well assured of himself
i1ed away as last as his horse might
■ It him, and knights and squires followed
.Iter, every man began to draw thither,
iuch as were far off thought ihey had
ilmseii an hare or a wolf, till at last Ihey
fteard thai [he liing was not well in his
nind. The duke of Orleans saved him-
.«lf. Then men of amis came all about
lie king and suffered him lo weary him-
ivlf, and the more that he travailed Ihe
eeblei he was, and when he atrake at any
nan, they would fall down before the
stroke : at this matter there was no hurl,
:>ut many overthrown, for there was none
-hat made any defence. Finally, when the
cine was well wearied and his horse sore
whaled with sweat and great beat, a knight
:>f Normandy, one of the king's chaml^r-
L«uiis, whom the king loved very well,
lifted Guilliani Martel, he come behind the
king suddenly and took him in his arms
»nd held him still. Then all other ap-
proached and took the sword out of Ins
baods and took him dnwn from his horse
^nd did off his jack to refresh him : then
Came his brother and his three uncles,
but he had clean lost the knowledge of
them and rolled his eyen in his head
tnarvellously and spake to no man. The
Lords of his blood were sore abashed and
wist not what lo say or do. Then the
dukes of Berry and of Bm^oyne said : ' It
behoveth us to return to Macs : ibis
*oyage is done for this time.' They said
Uul as much as th^ thought, but they
shewed it right well after, when Ihey came
\a Paris, lo such as they loved not, as ye
shall hear after.
Reasonably to consider all things accord-
ing lo the truth, it was great pity that the
French king, who as at that time was re-
puled ibr the most noble and puissant king
in all Christendom, fell ao suddenly out of
1 without remedy but as God
. laid in a
ck again lo
Lly of Mans. Then the marshals
gave knowledge to all the army that they
should return and how thai the voyage
was broken as at that time : some had
knowledge why, and some not. The
night that the king came to Mans, the
physicians had much ado with him, and the
loitis of the blood royal had great trouble.
Every man spake then in divers manners :
some said that such as had Ihe rule about
the king had poisoned him, to bring the
realm of France into shame and trouble.
These words multiplied in such wise, that
Ihe duke of Orleans and his uncles and
other lords of the blood royal noted them,
and spake tr^ether and said : ' How say
you, sirs? have ye not heard these words
and how men da murmur in divers places
upon them that hath had the governance
□f the kiiig? Some saith he should be
poisoned. Let ns search bow this may be
known.' Then some of them said how it
should be best known by the physicians ;
' tbey ought to know it, for they are ac-
quainted with his complexion.' The
physicians were sent for and examined.
They answered how the king of long time
had engendered the same malady ; ' for
we knew well Ihe weakness of his brain
would sore trouble him and at last shew
itself ; we have said as much before this
time.' Then the duke of Bui^ynesaid:
' Sirs, it is true, and therein ye did well
acquit yourselves ; hut he would neither
believe you nor us, his afTecIion was so
sore set upon this voyage. It was devised
in on evil time : this voyage hath dis-
honoured us all ; it had been better that
Clisson and all those of his afBnity had
been dead many a day agone, rather Ihan
the king to have taken this malady. These
tidings shall spread abroad in many places,
and seeing that he is but a young man, the
blame shall be laid in us that be his uncles
and of bis blood. Men will say that we
should otherwise have counselled him ;
thus we shall be laid in the fault with-
out cause. But, sirs,' quoth the duke,
' yesterday ' when he went to dinner, were
ye with him?' The physicians answered
and said, 'Yes.' 'Did he eal his meat
well?' quoth the duke. 'No, certainly,'
4i8
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
quoth they, 'he did eat and drink but
Uttle, but sat and mused.' 'And who
gave him drink last?' quoth the duke.
* Sir,* quoth they, * we cannot tell you
that, for as soon as the table was taken
up, we departed and made us ready to
ride, but his chamberlains or butlers can
tell that best.' Then Robert de Tanques,
a squire of Picardy, was sent for and
demanded who gave the king drink last.
* Sirs,' quoth he, *sir Ilelion of Neilhac'
Then he was sent for. Then he was en-
quired where he had the wine that the
king drank last of in his chamber when he
went to his horse. *Sir,' quoth he, *here
is Robert of Tanques and I, we took the
say in the presence of the king.' * That is
true,' quoth Robert of Tanques ; * ye need
not doubt therein nor have any suspicious-
ness, for as yet there is of the same wine
in the flagons, whereof we will drink and
assay before you.' Then the duke of
Berry said ; * This need not, for surely the
king is not poisoned. His malady pro-
ceedeth of evil counsel : it is no time to
speak of this matter now ; let all alone till
another season.'
Thus after this manner these lords de-
parted each from other that night and
went to their lodging. Then the king's
uncles had ordained four knights of honour
to wait about the king, as sir Raynold of
Roye, sir Raynold of Trie, the lord of
Garancieres and sir Guilliam of Martel, and
the king's uncles sent commandment to the
lord de la Riviere and to sir John Mercier,
to Montague, to the Begue of Villaines,
to sir William of Bordes and to sir Helion
of Neilhac, that they should in no wise
come about the king, till he were in better
estate. The next day the king's uncles
came to see the king and found him right
feeble. Then they demanded what rest
he had taken that night : they were an-
swered, 'But small rest.* *That is poor
news,* quoth the duke of Burgoyne. And
then to them came the duke of Orleans,
and so went all tc^ether to the king and
demanded of him how he did. He gave
none answer and looked strangely on them
and had lost clean the knowledge of them.
These lords were sore abashed and com-
muned together and said : * We have no
^ore here to do. The king is in an hard
: we do him more trouble than aid or
m
ni
v.
good : let us recommend him to b
chamberlains and physicians; they
best take heed to him : let us go i
how the realm may be governed, or
things will |jo amiss. Then the dab »
Burgoyne said to the. duke of Berry: *tt
brother, it is best we draw to Paris*
ordain to have the king easily bwii|t
thither, for better we shall take heed*
him there than here in these parts: m
when we be there, let us assemble afl fc^
council of France and ordain whoijl!
have the governance of the realni,
duke of Orleans or we.* ' That is
said,' quoth the duke of Berry; 'it
good we studied where were best to
the king to lie, that he might the
recover his health.' Then it was
that he should be brought to the castk
Creil, where is good air and a fair
on the river of Oise.
When this was ordained, then al
men of war had leave to depart and
commanded by the marshals every iwo
return peaceably into his own
without doing of any violence or
to the countries as they should pass
and if any did, their lords and captains
make amends. And the king's two
and the chancellor of France sent
sundry messengers to the good cities
towns of France, that they should
good heed to keep well their towns,
sidering that the king was not well
posed in his health. Their commandn
were fulfilled. The people of the real*
France were sore abashed when they to*
how the king was fallen sick and iB*
frenzy, and men spake largely agtt»
them that counselled the king to go^
Bretayne ; and some other said how Jj
king was betrayed by them that bare t»
duke of Bretayne and sir Peter Cb*
against the king. Men could not be tt
but that they would speak : the matter**
so high that words ran thereof diversely-
Thus finally the king was brought •*
Creil and there left in the keeping of 1*
physicians and of the said four knig^'
then every man departed. And it ^
commanded to hide and to keep secret tj*
king's malady from the knowledge of ^JJ
queen for a season, for as then shej**
great with child, and all her court wej
commanded to keep it secret on "*'"
DANCE OF SAVAGES, 1393
419
pni punishment. Thns the ting was at
Lreil in the marches of Seniis and of Cam*
piegne on the river of Oise, and tcepl by
tbcsaid knights and physicians, who give
,1 hiin medidnes, bul for s11 thai he lecoveted
le health.
CHAPTERS CLXXXV, CLXXX\'I
[CLXXXIX, CXC]
\iUMMARY. — A v/ise physician, master
<uofHarcig«y,iuasentrasiedwitktke
■an o/thc tins'- ^Itich he at length effected.
I In lie mean lime tie dukes ^ Burgoyiu
^rf Btrry took the gtrvemment ef Ihi nalm
M nsoimd to proceed against the kiHffs
h( mmseUors. Oliver de Clisson and Man-
ii Iheir escape, Iml Lt Mercier and
de la Sivitre were arrested and
add have Aeen ext€uted but for the in-
<mce of the young duchess of Berry ■uiilk
V huiiand in favour of the lord de la
Oliver de Clissan mai condemned
W'f Hi aisence lo be deprivsl of his office and
X^UIudlhi realm of France.
lHAPTER CLXXXVn [CXCI]
- ihp iiuce which was accorded between
1. inland and France for three years was
■i,i:v,-ed.
li- have lienrd heretofore in the books
bis high and excellent history, at the
iisi of the right high and miehty prince
il.,-ar lord and master Guy of Cnatillon,
■ f Blois, lord of Avesnes, of Chimay,
■(.aumDnl, of Sconnehove and of the
lb', I, John Fioissart, priest and
il.iin to my said lord, and at that time
luier and canon of Cliimay and of
I' in Flanders, have enterprised this
'1^ mailer,' treating of the adventures
w nrs of France and England and other
ritries conjoined and allied to Ihem, as
d)' appear clearly by the treaties thereof
\m unto the dale of this present day ;
ohidi execlleni matter, aa long as I
, by the help of God I shall continue ;
- _ ,. ..- 3
' Thli « ihe preface 10 the fourth book of
>r Ihii hiirh and
for the more I follow and labour il, the
more it plenselh me. As the noble knight
or squire loving the feats of arms do per-
severe in the same and be thereby expert
and made perfect, so in labouring of this
noble matter I delight and take pleasure.
i ofpeaci
SUMMARY. — The questio,
tTiuat France and En^and isias considered
in the parliament held in England at
Michaelmas, the duke of Lancaster being
much in favour of peace, and a truce was
taken till the next summer.
Sir Yvain of Foix ■was retained at the
French iin^s court as a knight of his
chamber.
CHAPTER CLXXXVIII [CXCII]
Of iLe adventure of a dance thai was madr
at Paris in likeness of wodehouses. wfaereii
lh<^ French king was in peril of death.
It fortuned that soon after the
this foresaid knight a marriage v
ingof
the king's house between a young knight
of Vermandois and one of the queen's
gentlewomen ; and because ihey were both
of the king's house, the king's uncles and
olher lords, ladies and damosels made
great triumph. There was the dukes of
The king made a great supper to the lords
and ladies, and the queen kept her estate,
desiring every man to be merry. And
there was a squire of Normandy called
Ilugonin of Guisay, he advised to make
some pastime. The day of the marriage,
which was on a Tuesday before Candlemas,
he provided for a mummery against ni^t ;
he devised six coats made of linen cloth
covered with pitch and thereon fiax like
hair, and had them ready in a chamber :
the king put on one of them, and Ihe earl
of Joigny, a young lusty knight, another,
and sir Charles of Poitiers the third, who
was son to the earl of Valentinois, and to
sir Yvain of Foix another, and the son ol
the lor.1 Nanlouiliet had on the fifth, and
the squire himself had on the si«th i and
when they were thus arrayed in these
said coats and sewed fast in them, ther
seeraed like wild wodehouses full of hair
from the top of the head lo the sole of
THE CH/fOmcLES OF FHOISSART
the (boL This deme pleased well the
French king, and wns well content with
the squire for it. They were apparplkd in
these coBIs secretly in a chumbcr, that no
man knew thereof but such as holp them.
When sir Yvain of Foix had well advised
these coals, he said to the king : ' Sir, com-
mand straitly that no man approach near
us with any torches or fire ; for if the lire
&sten in any of these coats, we shall all be
bretil without remedy.' The king nnswcred
and said : ' Wain, ye speak well and
wisely : it shall be done as ye have
devised ' : and incontinent sent for on
usher of liis chamber, comraanding him
to go into the chaait;er where the ladies
dance<t and to command all the vailels
holding- torches to stand up by the walls,
and none of them to approach near to the
wodehouses that should come thither to
dance. The usher did the king's com-
mandment, which was fulfilled. Soon
afler the duke of Orleans entered into the
hall, accompanied with four knights imd
six torches, and knew nothing of the king's
eonimandment for the torches nor of the
niummery that was coming thither, but
thought to behold the itancmg and be^n
himself to dance. Therewith the king
with 'the five other came ia : they were
so di^uised in flax, that no man knew
them : live of them were fastened one to
another ; the king was loose and wenl
before and led the device.
When they entered into the hall, every
man took so great hee<l to them that they
forgat the torches. The king departed
from his company and went to the ladies
to sport with ihem, as youth required, and
«> pafBed by the queen and came to ihc
dnchesa of Berry, who took and held him
by the arm to know what he was, but the
hnw would not shew his name. Then the
dMheaS said : ' Ye shall not escape me till
I Viwvw yrnir name.' In this mean season
are^i mi^hief (ell ou the other, and by
' ;...'of Orleans ; howbeit, it
and against his will, for
!'.'[i-d before the mischief
TiT (.- ■ .Mil not havedone ashedid
ccl in the world : but be was
A Itnow what personages the
H danced, he put one of the
l»held
lete bHOJ
I flfs cnicTcd ii
} the flax
(wherein if fire lake there ii ■ . ..
and suddenly was on * bri^I flu
so each of them set lire on other
pitch was so ^tened to the linen
and their shirts so dry and fine :
joining to their flesh, that they 1m
bren and to cry for help. None dun
near them ; they that did, hrent thd
by reason of the heat of the pitdL
them, called Nantouillct, advised lu
the buttcrj' was thereby : he ficd
and cast himself into a vessel fall of
wherein they rinsed pol^ which son
or else he bad been dead as theolht
yet he was sore hurt with the ttre.
When the queen heard the cry lb
made, she doubted her of the Itii^
knew well that be should be one
six, wherewith she fell in a swod
knights and ladies came andcomlbit
A piteous noise there was in the h»ll
duchess of Berry delivered the kiB|
that peril, for she did cast over h
train of her gown and coveied hir
the fire. The kii^ would have pa
her, 'Whither will ye go?' qoM
' Ye see well bow youi company
What are ye?' 'I am the kir^,'
he. * Haste you,' quoth she, 'aiid|
into other apparel, that the queen B
you, for she is in £real fear of you.'
with the king departed out of the hi
in all haste changed his apparel in
to the queen ; and the duchess of
had somewhat comforted her ani
shewed her how she should see ih
shortly ; thetewilh the king came
queen, and as soon as she saw hiia,
she embraced him and fell in > I
then she was borne into her chomti
the king went with her. And the t
of Foix, who was all on a fire, die
with a loud voice: 'Save the kil^
the king I ' Thus was the king on
as happy for Mm that he went fa
impany, for else he had been dcM
This great mischief fell thus abov
night in the hall of Saint -Pol b)
where there was two brent to deatb
place, and other two. the bastard of Ft
the earl of Joigny. bome to ihelt lo
and died ¥iiIuo two Jays aftei fn
misery and pain. Thus the (but i
marriage brake op tn hi iii ha »rlll
DAKCE OF SAVAGES
z\
^ I
Kwas DO rcincdv: tiie Sinh vzs ccijr
the duke of Orleans, and ra be thccgr:
■e evil when he pat dovn the tcrch.
kn the duke aid : ' Sin. let rrerr mzr.
■m dwre is DO man to bUme for this caisse.
til only myself: I am sorrj thereof : if
id thoi^t as mnch before, it shoolc
kive happened.' Then the cu'iLe o:
m went to the kix2g to excise hiir.
die king took his excnsc This ca<«
k the year of our L/ird God a tbousasd
hmiared firarsoore and twelve, the
ij before the feast of Candlemas : oa
Nrtone great bruit spread al:4-cad in
Rabn of France and in o'Jier coantiies.
dnkes of Bmgoyne and of Bern- vere
there present ax that season : ther 'bsr.
~\ then leave before of the ki::^ &n::
gone to their lodgings.
^ next day these news spread al4-oad
be dty, Mid erery mar. had num-el
'; and some said how God had &er:
tokai for an ensample. and that it was
for the king to regard it ai:d to
r himself from sudi young idle
Motonness, which he had iiscd overmnch.
Aig a king. The commons of the city of
vii mnrmored and said : ' Behold the
^itt nishap and mischief that was likely
^ kne £dJien on the king: he might a»
^ have been brent, as other were.
'ht ihoold have £dlen then of the king's
^dei and of his brother? The>' might
K*t been sore none of them should hnve
tad the death ; yea, and all the knights
nt migfat have been found in Paris. '
As loon as the dukes of Bern- and of
HpiyK heard of that adventure, they
ta abashed and nuuA-elled greatly, i
n^leuA on their horses and rode to the i
^ tnd comforted and counselled him ;
Adi was necessar}'. for he was sore ■
fcwMed, and the peril that he wa^ in was
NB in his imagination. He shewed hi<> ■
^da how his aunt of Berry had ^aved
^f bat he said he waa ven* som* for the ,
" of the earl of Joigny, of sir Vvain of '
•nd of sir Charles of Poitiers. His ^
recomforted him and said : * Sir, '
ii lost cannot be recovered : ve mu>:
the death of them and thank God of
fcir adventure that is fallen to your
person ; for all the realm of Prance ,
Qls incident might have been in great '
of losing : for ye may think well I
peorJc of Firis will r.^ve 're
5*ill : for God jQoweci- if :be =.isi:-rTzze
had aller en vcc "i-rr w^cli have slai-
-zi £11. Therefore, sir. irrarel v:c iz
estate r-yal ani lear cc yi-zr hrrse arfi
riie :■: Chir Lady- ir rilgrT.ige, arsf me
Oiall accompany you. irsi shew yccrselft^
the pec'lc, :':-r iher fesirc sere t: s<* v:c.*
The king said he wocld d? sc. Tbe~ t>je
king's ^rjcles t:*L k ipan the duke of L»r leans
and in coureins zrjirr.tj s.ziewhit 'rliTe-i
him C'f his yo-ng deed that he h^d cone.
He answered acd s«id hew he thc-zgfa: to
have done none ei-il. Then anon after the
king and his ccsr.pany leapc on their h?!
and rode throcgh the
cty t:- ar pease
the
people, and came to Our Lady church and
there heard n*.2ss and cffcred. and then re-
turned again to the house of Saint- Pol :
and little hy little this matter was forg^otiec.
and the obsequies done for the d«id bodies.
Ah. earl Gascon of Foix. if this had
fortuned in thy life days, th-.-u shculdest
have had great displeasure and it had been
hard to have pease^d thee, frr thou lovedst
him entirely. AH lords and ladies through
the realm of p'rance and elsewhere, that
beard of this chance, had great marvel
thereof.
CHAITER.S CLXXXIX. CXC
:CXCIIL CXCIV]
SUMMARY. — Th€ t:u s.' /V'-.v .--/j"
that thi: a*ixfn*urt zi-a: u zz.2r:::>:^ .:•';." .v
ihc kin:" f^.-aure he sttTT:^i.i th-: rrr-.' J*
Az'iznc"' an-J ::\:t.i::k£.i tz frizr a: Uzatt .V
the king.
Tki duki: of Birt-y itr.S Fu^z '**-■''} ■''•'
timifd to /rc:£il -z^.ziKjt .'Ct* vtt;— .-/&»;-
:€llor: cf the ktKF. at:.: aff.-'nn:: Phz^ir
aArtoi:, tr.rl cf Eti. to ie .\--::tz'rU r/
France, uh: a':^ v:arrit.: the 'z.:j, .Vj'^.
iaughter cf the Suke cf Bern.
In the vzeafz time Oliver .:•: CI::::"
carrjei en war -with the Sttke cf Br:t:st:\ .
CHAPTER CXCI XXCV:
SCMMA/^y. — T':e .:uif: . ;*' i?f."»T jk..
Bzirr^itnav met the .iuke: c' Z-»;.-/.v at:.^
1 That is, tc :be church f N;:re-Dar:.e.
I-*"*
THE CHRONICLES OF FROiSSART
GlcuiesUr^ and at length peace tvos made clerks in Fuis» saud lo the kii^ in Ae
between France and England. name <^ the vhole uuiiciMly, bov Ait
Tike king fell ill again of his farmer the schism of the Omrdi oanupfted Ik
ruiladr. Christian fiuth, and how that it mig^Mt
ioi^ endure in that estate, vithoit il
Christendom shoold repent it and iBi
CHAPTER CXCII [CXCVI] ^^ danger, md^Mcnlly Ae pdris
^ ** and priests of the Chmch. Ther of v
Of the death of pope Clement at AWgnon. imiveibily were dctenained to send noirii
and of the election of pope BencdicL to Av^non, fcr any derks to haTC iBf
graces of this pope Benedict. The Ficn
In that time in the month of September Idi^ saw wdl their juJhmmm. were icMi'
passed oat of the world at Avignon Robert aUe and woold hare none of his dob
•. f Geneva, named pope Clement : and it enrolled to seek fcr the pope's giaoeS} til
came b\' him as he had alwa\'3 said before, the matter were besier dttcrmined. Tl*
when any man spake of the peace and that matter abode still in that estate : kv-
union of the Church, he would say always beit the duke of Beny '■*^H**i grotlftiii
how he wodd ^t^ pope ; and so he did, pope Benedict and sent his rail, vhcfdbf
ir. manner as ^-e have heard herebeibre, mach people were pmei^ of gnos ■
ikTongfolly or rightfully I will not deter- this Benedict. The duke W Bmguyne ai
-^ine. Then the cardinals there were sore the duchess dissinmled the natter vithtk
abashed, and studied whom they might king, and so did the dnke of OrleuB vift
choose to be pope. The same time the many other great lords of Fnnoe; wk
French king returned again to his health, some .for ^voor heM than to this pof
whereof all such as loved him had great ' Benedict, who denied no man his |noB
*?y, and specially the good qaeen, who had ' to the intent that his ooort at Av^p*
^ven much alms and done many pilgrim- should be fnlL and to have the more Rp^
a^es fjT the king and caused general pro- tion. The dnke of Biciajne foDovedtk
cessions to be ma.ie in Plris. As I was French kill's opimon, far he was bdoR'
ir.fcMrmed. the cardinals at Avignon did ' time so abased brthe infermaiion ofki
elect and choose to be p3pe the cardinal ' coosan the eari of Flandos. that his httft
de L^ma. To speak truly, this cardinal would never indine to befieve on pof
was an bo'y man and of gOi3C life. This Clement, thoi^ the defks of BM|K
election was ruade conditicxully tliat if the bdieved and held him far pope. So «h9
French kin^ and his cocit>c£I were o^ntent ' any promotion was void in Fiance, Ae
therewith, or else not. N^w regard and king promoted his derks without giriiK
consider the great subjecd-xi that the any knowled^ diereof to ths pope BcfB*
Church was in. in that where the Chcrch diet, wherewith he and his caidinaliit.-
should be ^e£. the>- submitted them to be Avignon were soce abashed and doollkA
under such as should have been c^dered by lest the Fiench king woold restrain flKk
them. Thus this cardisal de Luna was rents and pcofits as thej were wont to hi><
chosen pope and namei Benedict : he of the benefices given in the reafai <•
^ve general graces to al] clerks that wccld France. Then they determined to send t
.-on:e to Avi^on, ar.i :y the cocnsel of legale into France, to speak with theM
his rrethren the cardinals he wrxe of the and his cocndL to know how he wonM
creau?n of his papality t? the French kin*: : orier him agsisst the Church, and to sbe*
I ut. as I W2S informed, the kin^ t x>k little him bow that he that is diosen pope S
re^r.i thereto : for as then he was not unier this oi^Dcidoei. that if he be pleiscdt
determine-i whether he sh?nlr* take him then he lo abode still as pope, or dsetb^
f JT very p?pe or n :c. an \ t r.erecroc the to ret kim oot of his papahty and the
kin^ sent f?r the ^£atest clerk> cf the cardinals to enter again into condave tm
university of Paris, t: have their aivice cbcose ooe after the king's pleasme.
and cvxinseL Then master John cf Quig- j At this time was come to Fuis and «iS
nicoait and master Pi-er Piaac!. who \ abcct the king the friar minor, a dc^
were in rnidence a&i leannng the greatest . mar, who was sent into France by pof*
W^JiO/SSART IN ENGLAND, 139S
■MJ
e^'
ce or Rome : the French king heard
this Trial's preaching. Then came
'ronce (he legate rroin Ai^on, who
peat and a subtle clerk, and well
— "■ Then the whole university
the king and said how it were
ane thai either Bonibce or else
ctito be put out of their papality.
Mi cardinals to be put out of Iheir
fitie^ and instead of ihem to be
n good dctks, wise men and of good
-ence, as well of Alomine and France
other nations, and they tri be set
er by good deli1>eration and cnunsc 1,
It favour or evil will, to set the
ll thereby at one point with one
They said the^ saw wel! there was
odler way to bung it to a good con-
O, because pride and envy so reigned
( world, that the princes and krds
Udd their own parlV' This proposi-
Oll the university had made before
•B^ pleased r^hi well the king and
itwt of Orleans and al Burgoyne, and
»]ld V
^ . the king of Alinaine and of
and ot Hungary and to the king
lud, and he thought himself nuie
of the kin^s of Castile, of Navarre,
"Tl, of Sicily, ot Naples and of
, that they would obc^ to such a
he and his realm obeyed unto :
poo lliis the French king sent his
And messengers to these said kings.
WBS eood leisure in doing of thi!i,
in piint; and coming again with
r. And in the mean lime there
out of this world al Paris the noble
BWalerJohnofQuignicourt, of whose
llW king and the lords and the whole
-^" were right sorry, for he left not
behind him, and he had in his
I great pain to reform the Church
« brought it into a perfect unity.
TASV.—Mostir hhn of Varcnnis
tJUr rich beatficta and retired le
" ■ ■ " ' ' r, ■where he led a holy
latHe: he himself prepaml for a voyage le
Ireland.
At ihii season the queen of England, Ike
lady Ann/ of Bokeniia,felt sitrk and died^
By I Ail Ikt voyage le Ireland Tuas delayed, biil
at length the Hug artd hii arwy fassed mtr,
and lodged in and about lie city of Dublin.
CHAPTER CXCVI [CC]
Tkue it was that I, sir John Froissart, as at
that time treasurer and canon of Chimay in
the earldom of HainauU, in the diocese of
Li^e, had great affection to go and see
the realm of England, when I had been in
Abbeville and saw that tmce was taken
l>etween the realms of England and France
and other countries to them conjoined and
their adherents, to endure four years by
sea and by land. Many reasons moved
me to make that voyage ; one was because
in my youth I had been brought up in the
court of the noble king Edward the third
and of (jueen Philippa his wife, and among
their children and other barons of England
that as then were alive, in whom I found
all nobleness, honour, largess and courtesy.
Therefore I desired to see the country,
thinking thereby I should live much the
longer ; for I had not been there twenty-
seven year before, and I thought, though I
saw not those lords that I left olive there,
yet at the least I should see their heirs,
the which should do me much good to see,
and also to justify the histories and matters
that I had written of them ; and or I took
my journey, I spake with duke Aubert of
Baviei* and with the earl of Hainault,'
Holland, Zealand and lord of Frise, and
with my lord William earl of Ostrevant,
and with my right honourable lady Jane,
duchess of Brabant and of Luxembourg,
and with the lord Enguerrond, lord Coucy,
and with the gentle knight the lord of
Gommegnies, who in his youth and mine
had been It^ther in England in the king's
awire thu duke Aubert of Bavaria was Ibe (sri
o( Hainault, Holland, ctcT If not, the origJTat ^
424
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
court : in like wise so had I seen there ihe
lord of Coucy and divers other oobles of
France holding great bousebolds in Lon-
don,' when they lay there in hostage for
the redemption of king John, as then
French king, as it hath been shewed here-
before in this history. These said lords
and the duchess of Brahant counselled me
to lake this journey, and gave me letters of
recommendation to the king of England
and to his uncles, saving the lord Coucy :
he would not write to Ihe king, because he
was a Frenchman, therefore he durst not,
but to his daughter, who as then was
called duchess of Ireland. And I had en-
grossed in a bir hook well enlumined all
the matters of amours and moralities that
in four and twenty years before I had made
and compiled, which greatly quickened my
desire to go into England to see king
Kichard, who was son to the noble prince
of Wales and of Acquitaine, for I had
not seen this king Richard silh he was
christened in the cathedral church of Bor-
deaux, at which time I was there and
thought to have gone with the prince the
journey into Galicia in Spain, and when
we were in the city of Dax, the prince sent
mc hack into England to the queen his
mother.
For these causes and other I had great
desire to go into England to see the king
and his uncles. Also I had this said fair
book well covered with velvet garnished
with clasps of silver and gilt, thereof to
make a present to the king at my first
coming to his presence. I had such desire
to go this voyage, that the pain and travail
K'evcd me nothing. Thus provided of
rses and other necessaries, 1 passed the
sea at Calais and came to Dover the twelfth
day of the month of July. When I came
there, I found no man of my knowledge, it
was so long silh I had been in England,
and the houses were all newly changed,
and young children were become men, and
the women knew me not, nor I Ihem.'
So I abode half a day and all a night at
Dover : it was on a Tuesday, and the next
day by nine of the clock I came to C
bucy to Saint Thomas' shrine and
tomb of the noble prince of Wales,
there interred right richly. There I
mass and made mine ofiering to the
saint, and then dined at my lod^^af,
there I was informed how kine Rie
should \x there the next day on pil^ioq
which was after hia return out of Jtel
where he had lieen the space tX
months or thereabout. The king b
devotion to visit Saint Thomas diL
and also because the prince his biher
there buried. Then I thought to abid
king there, and so I did ; and tht
day the king came thither with a l
company of lords, ladles and damo
and when I was among them, they w
to me all new folks, I knew no pa
the time was sore changed in twenty
year, and with the king as then wu
of his uncles. The duke of Lanculcr
in Acquitaine, and the dukes of York
Gloucester were in other businesso^
that I was al the first all abashed, far
bad seen any ancient knight Uiat " ' "
with king Edward or with the
had been well recomforted and wi
gone to him, but 1 could see m
Then I demanded for a knight calW
Richard Stuty, whether he were ali'
not, and it was shewed m^ yes, b
was at London. Then I thought to
the lord Thomas Periy, grenl seaescl
'^— ;land, who was ihere with llie '
'QuikLondrsi
London.' Thi wqrds ' '
hrKlage ' are ini^Ttcd by the E
■ngli
so I acquainted me with him and I
him r^ht honourable and gracious,
offered to present me and my letter
king, whereof I was right joyhil, ft
hoved me to have some means to hL_,
to the presence of such a ptmce i$ the
of England was. He went to the k
chamber, at which time the king was
to sleep, and so he shewed roe utd
me return to my lodging and come ■!_.
and so I did. And when I came In
bishop's palace, I found the lord T~
Percy ready lo ride to Ospring^ :
counselled me to make as then no
ledge of my being there, but lo fell
court, and said he would cause me i
be well lodged till the king shouU
the fair castle of Leeds in Kent. I <
me after his counsel and rode ht
Ospringe, and by adventute I wnt
■^
FRO/SSART m ENGLAND
1 an house where was lodged a. gentle
:«i^ht of Lngland ailed \\ II am Jjsle.
ie was tan ed h e bel nd the k ng,
«cause he had pa n n h a head all the
^ht befo e he was one of the k ng's
"rivy chambe and when he saw II at I
ras a strong aod as h thought of the
narchcB of r n becau e of mjr lan-
"uage, we f 11 n \ ntance ti^e her ;
r genlk
f I
rentable , I gl 1 f i an e. Then
le dcmani I ul 1 1 what buid-
less 1 bad 1 1 1 j Is I shewed
lim a grea | ai of my om ng th the and
JI Ihat the lord Thomas Percy had said
ci me and ordered me to do. He then
Uiswere<l and said how I could oot have a
>clte[ mean, and that on the Friday the
cing should be at the castle of Leeds ; and
■«e shewed me that when I came there, I
iliould find there the duke of York, the
cing's uncle, whereof I was right glad,
JKcause I had letters directed to him, and
i-lso Ihat in his youth he had seen me in
;he court of the noble king Edward his
father and with the queen his mother.
Then on the Friiiay in the morning air
William Lisle and 1 rode together, and on
che way I demanded of him if he had been
with tlie king in the voyage into Ireland.
He answered me, yes. Then I demanded
of him the manner of the hole that is in
Xreiand, called Saint Patrick's purgatory,
if it were true that was said of it or not.
Then he said that of a surely such a hole
there was, and that he himself and another
linight of England hajl been there, while
*he king lay at Dublin, and said how they
entered into the hole and were closed in
at (he sun going down and abode there all
night, nnd the next morning issued out
again at the sun-rising. Then I demanded
if he had any such strange sights or visions
as were spotien of. Then he said how that
when he and his fellow were entered and
past the gate that was called the purgatory
of Saint Patrick, and that they were de-
scended and gone down three or four
paces, descending down as into a cellar,
a certain hot vapour rose against them and
slrake so into their heads, that they " ~ ~
.n the si
which a:
season, they had great desire to sleep, and
(0 fell asleep and slept there all night.
Then I demanded that if in their sleep
they knew where they were, or what viaons
they had. He answered me that in sleep-
ing they entered into great imaginations
and in marvellous dreams, otherwise than
they were wont to have in their chambers,
and in the morning Ihey issued out and
within a short season clean foi^at their
dreams and visions ; wherefore he said he
thought all that matter was but a fantasy.
Then I left speaking any further of that
matter, because I would fain have known
of him what was done in the voyage in
Ireland, and I thought as then lo have
demanded what the king had done in
that journey ; but then company of other
knights came and fell in communication
with him, so that I left my purpose for
that time.
Thus we rode to Leeds, and thither came
the king and all his company, and there 1
found the lord Edmnnd duke of York.
Then I went lo him and delivered my
letters from the earl of Hainaull his cousin
and from the earl of Ostrevant. The duke
knew me well and made me good cheer
and said ; ' Sir John, hold you always near
to us and we shall shew you love and
courtesy : we are bound thereto for the
love of lime past and for love of my lady
the old queen my mother, in whose court
ye were, we have good remembrance
thereof' Then I thaiHfed him, as reason
required ; so I was advanced by reason of
him and sir Thomas Percy and sir 'William
Lisle ; by their means I was brought into
the king s chamber, and into his presence
by means of his uncle Ihe duke of York.
Then I delivered my letters to the king,
and he took and read them at good leisure.
Then he said to me that I was welcome,
as he that had been and is of the English
court. As on that day I shewed not the
king the book that I had brought for him i
he was so sore occupied with great affairs,
that I had as then no leisure to present my
book. The king was spre busied ihere in
council for two great and mighty matters ;
first was in determining lo send sufficient
messengers, as the earl of Rutland, his
cousin-german, and Ihe earl marshal,' the
archbishop of Dublin, the bishop of Ely,
the lord Louis Clifford, the lord Henry
1 Thomas Mowbray, earl of Notlinnhatn, aflei-
wards (i397> duke of Norfolk.
426
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Beaumont, the lord Hugh Spencer and
many other, over the sea to Charles the
French king to treat with him for a
marriage to be had between the king of
England and the French king's eldest
daughter, named Isabel, of the age of eight
years. The second cause was, the lord de
la Barthe, the lord of Terride, the lord of
Puycomet, the lord of Castelnau, the lord
of Lesque, the lord of Caupene, and the
councillors of Bordeaux, Bayonne and of
Dax were come into England and had
quickly pursued their matter sith the king's
return out of Ireland, to have an answer of
the requests and process that they had
put forth to the king on the gift that the
king had given to his uncle the duke of
Lancaster of the lands, seignories, lordships
and baronies in Acquitame, which they
verified to pertain to the king and realm of
England. They had alleged to the king
and his council that his gift might not pass
so, because it was unprofitable and inutile :
for they said all those lands held of right
and of the demain of the crown of Eng-
land ; wherefore they said they would not
disjoin nor dissever them firom the crown.
They alleged furthermore many other
reasonable causes, as ye shall hear after in
this process : but thus to have counsel of
those two great matters, the king had sent
for the most part of the prelates and lords
of England to be at the feast of Maudlin-
tide at a manor of the king's called Eltham,
a seven English miles from London. And
when they had tarried at Leeds a four days,
the king returned to Rochester and so to
Eltham, and so I rode forth in the king's
company.
CHAPTER CXCVII [CCI]
SUMMARY. —In riding to Eltham,
Froissart was informed by sir John de
Grailly of the state of things in Acquitaine,
and how the people there refused to accept
the duke of Lancaster as their sovereign
lord. Also of the kin^ s proposed marriage.
The chapter thus continues : —
Thus this gentle knight sir John of
Grailly and I devised together, as we rode
■'«eii Rochester and Dartford. This
captain of Bouteville, bastard
son sometime to the captal of Buch, and I
heard his words gladly and did put them
in memory; and all the way between
Leeds and Eltham I rode most part in his
company and with sir William Lisk.
Thus the king came to Eltham on a Toes'
day, and on the Wednesday the lords of
all coasts began to assemble. Thither
came the duke of Gloucester and the eaik
of Derby, Arundel, Northumberiand,
Kent, Rutland, and the earl marshal and
the archbishops of Canterbury and Yaik,
and the bishops of London and Win-
chester. And on the Thursday about the
hour of three they assembled together in
the king's chamber in the king's presence.
Then the knights of Gascoyne were sent for
and the councillors of the good towns,
and also the duke of Lancaster's coonse!
was sent for. I was not present, nor might
not be suffered : there were none but the
lords of the council, who debated the
matter more than four hours. And after
dinner I fell in acquaintance with an
ancient knight, whom I knew in king
Edward's days, and he was as then of kii^
Richard's privy council ; he was called sir
Richard Stury. He knew me anon, and yet
in twenty-four years he had not seen me
before, which was at Codenberg and at
Brussels ^ in the house of duke Wenceslas
of Brabant and of the duchess Jane of
Brabant. This knight sir Richard Story
made me good cheer and demanded- of me
many things, and I answered him as I
knew ; and as I walked up and down with
him in a gallery before the king's chamber,
I demanded him questions of that council
and desired him to tell me, if he might,
what conclusion was taken. He heard me
well and paused a little, and afterward
said : * Sir John, I shall shew you, for it is
no matter to be hidden and kept secret;
for shortly ye shall hear them published all
openly. Ye know well,' quoth he, *and
I am sure ye have heard rehearsed how the
duke of Lancaster is gone into Acquitaine
to rejoice the gift * that the king my sove-
reign lord hath given him for the love that
he hath to him ; for he hath done the king
right good service and the crown of Eng-
land, therefore in reward the king hath
1 ' At Codenberg in Brussels,' the palace of the
duke of Brabant.
*J ' Is gone into Acquitaine, and of the gift,' etc.
Si
m
I
DEBATE IH THE PRJVY COUNCIL, 139;
arly given to him and to his heirs iot
^ the whole duchy of Acquitaine, so as
atendelh in meies and limitations,
eballies, bniliages, sdgnoiies and
i, and clean quitteth all them that
I him by faith or oath and in all
; the tcBort reserved ; ' more the
ll [not] reserved to the crown of
|S in lime to come ; and thb gift is
ently confirmed, ihot all Ihe king's
bclea and nil the council of England
corded thereto, and the king hath
~ oal commandment to tdl his
1 the said limitations of Acqui-
( to obey in all points without any
r mean his dear and well beloved
luide duke John of Lancaster, and after
I Iftt aghl of his letters to hold and to take
110 to their sovereign lord and to swear to
yn faith and hom^e and to hold of him
illy, as they have anciently done and held
(tie date of those letters given by the
riL[ of England or his deputies or commis-
riirs, and whosoever that rebelleth or
''I'tth against this the king's grant, of
■- condition soever he lie, to answer
' '.nlo within three days. The king gave
'o his uncle of Lancaster and to his com-
•ftissioDers full power and puissance to
Correct them and to put them out of all
I hope to have any other return or resort ;
>et notwithstanding all these letters and
strait commandment of the king, the good
towns and cities of Gascoyne under the
lung of England's obeisance and all other
lords, knights and gentlemen of the country
■'e conjoined td^^hcr to keep their towns
(■ PgainsI the duke,' and will not nor
riiil in mind to obey the duke in this
; for they say and have said and yet
'■^\n at this hour that the gift that the
.^ hath given to his uncle of Lancaster
;:.l sufficient nor profitable,' and out of
order of reason ; and the duke, who
■ild not win them but by gentleness.
rd patiently their defences. And that
fiitlher inconveniences should ensue,
lefore his counsel and their counsels
■lime hither to debate and to declare
' l-tAve Joined imd formed an alliance Logeilier
ns( ihEduke'CMSorlconJQinUMfldherjtn-
:> Btelo.,'.lc). The tronslatDT mislook the
the cause why they do not obey the king's
commandment. And surely as this day
they have right wisely shewed Iheir answer
and laid forth certain aiticlea of reason,
and \htv have been well heard ; and they
have laid such reasons that in a manner
the king and his council think they have
cause to abide by their quarrel. I shall
shew you how, but I would ye keep it
secret till it be known fiirlher abroad.'
And I answered I would so do.
'Well.'quoth the knight, 'one (as me-
thought was official of EOTdeaun) spake for
all his party, and fiist shewed forth his pro-
curation and authority I0 thi^ intent he
might the belter [be] believed, and then
bc^n and said that the city of Bordeaux
and the cities of Bayonnc and Dax, and all
the seignories and lordships that be append-
ant to the limits of the said countries and
cities, are of so nolile condition, that no
king of England by no manner of action or
deed may put away or dissever them from
the demains of the crown of England, nor
to give or alienate them to child, nnclc
nor brother by reason of marriage or other-
wise : "and to verify this we say that the
above named towns, cities and seignories
are sufficiently privileged b^ kings of Eng-
land, who have swotn &ithfully to hold
and to keep us so without revocation ; for
as soon as any king of England entereth
info the possession of the heritage of the
crown of England, he swearelh sufficiently
on the Evangelists to hold this firm and
stable without breaking : and ye. right
dear sir, as king of England, have made
like oath. And, sir, to veri^ this to be of
truth, behold here these writings," And
therewith he shewed forth letters and
chatters under the signs of notaries im-
g trials' and sealed with the great seal of
ngland, given by the same king Richard
there being present ; and there openly he
read it firora clause lo clause. The charter
was well heard and understanded, for it
was both in Latin and in French ; and it
named in the end many witnesses of pre-
lates and great lords of England, who were
for the more surety tests of that deed, at
the least lo the number of eleven. When
the king's council heard this, Ihey beheld
each other and looked on the king : there
was no man spake a word nor made no
> ■Tabe1lionntei,"drBwnupLnft>nii.'
428
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
replication. When he had read it over,
he folded it and put it up and spake further,
addressing his words to the king, and said :
"Right dear sir and redoubtwl sovereign
lord, and you my right dear lords and
other, at my departing out of the country I
was charged to shew you by the councillors
of the good cities and towns of Gascoyne,
being under the obeisance of the crown of
England, who hath well overseen the form
and manner of your commandment sent
unto them under your seal, which they
knew ri^ht well, yet they think and say
that this commandment may not be
obeyed ; * for if so were that the cities
and good towns of Guyenne would incline
to receive the duke of Lancaster to their
lord and acquit for ever the homage and
obeisance that they owe to you, it should
be greatly to the prejudice of the crown of
England : for though it were so, that at
this time present the duke of Lancaster is
the king's uncle and subject and well
beloved, and would hold and keep all
points and articles belonging to the crown
of England, yet it may so nap that such love
and tenure may lightly be lost by change
of heirs by reason of marriages that are
made between lords and ladies in changing
from one to another,^ though they be near
of lineage, by dispensation of the pope.
For sometime it is of necessity that mar-
riages be made of high princes or of their
children one with another, to hold their
lands and seignories in love and amity ;
and so it might fall that such heirs as
might descend of the duke of Lancaster
should conjoin them by marriage to the
children of some king in France, or of
dukes of Berry, Bretayne, or earls of Foix
or Armagnac, or kings of Navarre, or i
dukes of Anjou or of Maine ; and then |
they, being beyond the sea peradventure in
the parts of France, should claim their .
inheritance and thereby put the country of I
Guyenne in discord and to bring it to be
against the crown of England ; whereby
1 This is partly corrupt and partly mistranslated *.
the sj>eaker said in effect : ' I was charged also to
shew you another consideration, which the coun-
cillors of the good towns have had on the form of
your mandate, grantinof that this thing may be.
which cannot be; and the consideration is this:
that if,' etc. But the French text gave * pos^ cju'il
soit ct qu'il ne peut estre,' for * posd qu il soit ce
qu'il ne peut estre.'
^ 'Betvreen lords and ladies one with another.'
the king of England then reigning and the
realm also should have peradventure oyer-
much pain to recover it again, and so the
right to be put £Eur off from thence, where*
unto it should return and be, as of the
demain of the crown of England. Where-
fore, right dear sir and redoubted kfdi
and noble councillors, please it yoa to
consider all these points and articles whidi
I have proposed in your presence, uid
determine it as ye shall seem best ; fcMT, sir,
the full opinion of all the country is, they
say they will abide still in the obeisance of
you, right redoubted lord and king, and in
the demain of the noble crown of Englaiid."
'Therewith this official held bis peace;
and the prelates and lords each of^them
regarded other. Then they drew toother
and approached to the king, first his tffo
uncles and the earls of Derby and ArundeL
Then they of Acquitaine were commanded
to depart till they were called again : they
departed, and also the two knights thit
were come thither from the duke rf
Lancaster. Then the king demanded
counsel what should be done and what
answer should be made. The prelate!
turned the answer to the king's uncles,
because the matter touched them rather
than any other. At the first they excused
them, saying they might not well answer,
for the matter was common and ought to
be debated by common counsel and not bf
lineage nor favour. Thus they bode a good
space, but finally the answer was laid on
the duke of Gloucester and he was prayed
and required to say his advice. Then he
answered and said how it was a hard thing
to take away or to disannul the gift of »
king, confirmed and sealed by the accord of
all his subjects and by deliberation of his
special council ; wherefore, he said, his
subjects should be rebel that would not
obey,^ for in that they would make that
the king should not be lord of his own in-
heritance, if that he might not do with hfi
own what it pleased him. Some glosed
those words, and some thought in their
courage that the answer was not reason-
able, but they durst not say against it, the
duke of Gloucester was so sore dread;
and the earl of Derby, son to the duke of
1 We ought to read, * althoueh his subjects should
rebel against it,' but the translator was pualcd by
finding ' que ' instead of ' quoyque.'
S
'I.-
DEBATE IK TBE PRIVY COUNCIL
429
r, was there present, who furthered
hose words and said : " Fair uncle, ye
ave well said: I am of your opinion."
Therewith the council began to break, and
Dme murmured one with another, and they
■f Guyenoe nor yet the duke of Lancaster s
anights were not called again at that time.
Yhen the king saw all the matter, he dia-
imuled a Utile, and it was his jtitenlion
hat thn' should assemble together again
n cauncil after dinner, to see if any other
woper way might be taken for the no
■f the crown of England. Then the king
aused the bishop of Canterbury lo speak
rf that he had given bim in charge in the
norning to speak of; that was upon the
.tate of his marriage, and to send into
France, The lords were of accord and
tamed them that should go, which were the
irchbishop of Dublin, (he earl of Rutland,
he earl marshal, the lord Beaumont, the
ord Hugh Spenser, the lord Ixjuis Ciifford
and twenty knights and forty squires.'
These were sent into France to treat for
.he marriage of the French king's daughter
Isabel of eight year of age, and yet she was
tlready promised to the duke of^ Bretayne's
ion by a treaty (hat was made in Tours in
rouraine. Now behold how this might be
Qroken, for the French king and his uncles
nad sealed' with the duke of Bretayne.
Vet for atl (hat the English ambassadors
had iheir charge given unto ihem, and so
they departed out of England and arrived
%t Calais, and there tarried a live days and
then departed in great array and took the
^way to Amiens ; and they sent before
March the herald, who had brought to
them safe-conduct going and coming, and
beside that the lord Montcavrel was set to
be ihrar guide and to sei^ (hem served of all
things necessary.
Now we shall leave to speak of them
Qnd return to our tirst purpose.
Now, as I have shewed you before, the
coundllors of the cities and good towns of
-Acqaitaine prayed the king and his council,
to whom they were bound, (o inainiain
their liberties and franchises as in the
•lemain of the crown of England, as he
Was sworn lo do, affirming that surely they
1 keep tl
iDcles
be brokeD
■■■Cr.
He
tcient liberties and will
break it for no manner of cause or con-
dition : and in holding thus (heir opinion
four parts of the council and the common
voice of the country reputed them for
valiant and worthy men. But (he duke of
Gloucester was of another opinion ; for he
would that his brother the duke of Lancas-
ter should have bidden still in Acquitaine,
for he thought he was over great in Eng-
land and too near the klog. As for his
brother the duke of York, he cared not,
for the duke of York was a prince that
loved hia ease and little business : also he
had a fair lady to his wife, daughter to the
earl of Kent, on whom was all his pleasure.
But the duke of Gloucester was subtle and
ever demanded somewhat of his nephew
king Richard ; yet he was but poor, for all
that he was a great lord and con5(able of
England and earl of Hereford ajid of
Exeter and of Ruckingham, and also he
had yearly ou( of the king's coffers four
thousand nobles, and never rode un the
king's business nor for the realm one day,
without he knew why and wherefore. For
these causes he was not indifferent for the
matters of Acquitaine, for he would have
had his brother of Lancaster to have bidden
atiil in Acquitaine for ever, for then he
thought he would have shifted well enough
in England. As soon as he had said his
sentence, as ye have heard before, and (hal
he saw some murmured in the king's
chamber, and that the prelates and lords
talked together two and two, he issued out
of the chamber, and the earl of Derby with
him, aod came tn(o (he hall at EKham
and made a cloth to be laid on a table, and
so sat down to dinner and left all other
still talking li^elber. When the duke of
York knew that he was at dinner, he went
to keep him company, and after dinner,
which he made short, (he duke of Glou-
cester dissimuled the matter and took his
leave of the king Eit(tng at the table, and
so departed and took his horse and rode to
London ; and the eart of Derby abode still
with the lords that day and the next day.
Thus they of Acquitaine could have none
I have delight to write this matter at
length because to inform you of the truth ;
for I, that am author of this history, was
present in nil these matters, and (his valiinl
430
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
knight sir Richard Stury shewed me every-
thing.^ And so it was, that on the Sunday
following all such as had been there were
departed, and all these councillors, except
the duke of York, who abode still about
the king ; and the lord Thomes Percy and
sir Richard Stury shewed my business to
the king.* Then the king desired to see
my book that I had brought for him ; so
he saw it in his chamber, for I had laid it
there ready on his bed. When the king
opened it, it pleased him well, for it was
fair enlumined and written, and covered
with crimson velvet, with ten buttons of
silver and gilt, and roses of gold in the midst,
with two great clasps gilt, richly wrought.
Then the king demanded me whereof it
treated, and I shewed him how it treated
matters of love ; whereof the king was
glad and looked in it and read it in many
places, for he could speak and read French
very well. And he took it to ' a knight of
his chamber named sir Richard Credon, to
bear it into his secret chamber. And the
same Sunday I fell in acquaintance with a
squire of England called Henry Christead,"*
an honest man and a wise, and could well
speak French. He companied with me,
because he saw the king and other lords
make me good cheer, and also he had seen
the book that I gave to the king ; also sir
Richard Stury bad shewed him how I was
a maker of histories. Then he said to me
as hereafter folio weth.
CHAPTER CXCVni [CCH]
The device and of the conquest ^ that king
Richard had made in Ireland, and how
he brought into his obeisance four kings
of that country.
* Sir John,' quoth he, * have ye not found
in the king's court sith ye came hither no
^ In the fuller text we read also : ' while walking
in the galleries at Eltham, where it was very plea-
sant and shadyj for those galleries {or alleys) were
then covered with vines.'
2 * Except the duke of York, who abode with the
king, and sir Richard Stury ; and these two with
sir Thomas Percy shewed my business to the king.'
8 * He caused it to be taken by.'
4 Perhaps the name was Chrystead or Chrystal.
The French text here has | Castide,' but afterwards
* Christall.' Another reading is CristMe.
' *La devise du voyage, 'the account of the
man that hath told you of the
the king made but late into 1
in what manner the four king
are come into the obeisance
of England ? ' And I answ
*Then shall I shew you,' quot!
* to the intent that ye may p
petual memory, when ye retu
own country and have leisure
was rejoiced of his words a
him : then he began thus an<
John, it is not in memory tha
king of England made such
provision for any journey tc
against the Irishmen, nor sue
of men of arms nor archers,
was nine months in the march<
to his great cost and charge t<
for they bare all his expense
merchants, cities and good t
realm thought it well bestowec
saw the king return home
honour. The number that he
gentlemen and archers, were f<
knights and thirty thousand
paid weekly, that every mj
pleased. But I shew you,
should know the truth, Irelai
the evil countries of the world
upon or to bring under subjec
closed strongly and widely witt
and great waters and marishe;
inhabitable : it is hard to entei
of the country any damage,
find no town nor person to s]
for the men draw to the wood
in caves and small cottages un(
among bushes and hedges like
beasts, and when they know tl
niaketh war against them and is
their countries, then they drav
the straits and passages and <
that no man can enter into thei
they see their time, they wil
their advantage on their enem
know the country and are li:
for a man of arms being ne
horsed and run as fast as he ca
men will run afoot as fast as h
take him, yea, and leap up upc
behind him and draw him fron
for they are strong men in tli
have sharp weapons with large
two edges after the manner of
wherewith they will slay their <
^^R^Pule not a man dead till ihey have
^^^■J" throat and open his belly and taken
not Dis heart and cairy it away with them.
Aome say. such as know their nature, that
they do eat it and have great delight therein.
They take no man to ransom, and when
they see al any encounter thai they be over-
matched, then they will depart asunder and
JO and hide themselves in bushes, woods,
iffges and caves, so that no man shall find
heni. j^Ijp 5jj William of Wbdsor, who
lath most used the wars in those parts of
-ny other Englishman, yet he could never
aarn the manner of the country nor know
l' P^'^'''''""*- They be hard people
nd of r\ide engine and wit and of divers
requeiitaiions and usage : ihey set nothing
•y jollity nor fresh apparei, nor hy noble-
less ; fof [hough their realm be sovereignly
'?^*'^"^*^ by kings, whereof they Imve
ilenty, y^^ ,jj ^jj[j j^j^g ^^ knowledge of
;entler.ess, but wUl continue in thsir rude-
[f ^*, ^cording as they are brought Up.
A^ '* '^ ■''"' ^°^' °^ ""^ ptiicipal Jtings
ind moat puissant after the manner of the
jountry ^^ ^^^p j^ jhe obeisance of the
<ing of England by love and fairness, and
DOl by ijauij „Q^ constraint. The earl of
Ormond, who marchelh upon them, hath
taken p^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ treated with
Ibetu that Ihey came to Dublin to the king
and submitted them to him, to be under
w>^ obeisance of the crown of England ;
""^^We the king and all the realm re-
P" ■]'' *his for a great and honourable deed
»"" Ihitikeih this voyage well besloweil,
fc« king Eduurd of good memory did never
aoauch upon ibem as king Richard did in
t(us voyage : the honour is great, hut the
V'^nt is bui little, for though they be kings,
yet no iuj^ j^^q devise nor speak of ruder
petsonagj,.
' 'nail shew you somewhat of their rude-
"^ to ihe intent it may be ensample
"E^npeopleof other nations.^ I know it
"■^"p for I have proved it by themselves :
™ "hen they were at Dublin, I had the
En'tniance of thenv about a month by the
"■"El Commandment and his council, to
■i^lund, and because 1 could speak their
'"'fiiu^e as weU as French or English, for
fJf/Sff AFFAIRS
431
in my youth I was brought up among
them. I was with the earl of Ormond,
father to the earl that now is, who loved
me right well, because I could as then ride
and handle an horse meetly well ; and it
fortuned one lime that the said earl, who
as then was my master, was sent with three
hundred spears and a thousand archers into
the marches of Ireland to make war with
the Irishmen, for always the Englishmen
have had war with them, to subdue and
put them under. And on a day, as the
said carl went against them, I rode on a
?oodly horse of his, light and swift : thus
rode and followed my master, and the
same day the Irishmen were laid in a bush-
ment, and when we came near them they
opened their bushment ; then the English
archers began to shoot so eagerly that the
Irishmen conld not suffer it, for they are
but simply armed, therefore they reculed
and went back. Then the earl my master
followed in the chase, and I that was well
horsed followed him as near as I could ;
and it fortuned so that my horse was affrayed
and took his bridle in his teeth and ran
away with me, and whether I would or not,
he bare me so far forth among the Irish-
men, that one of them by lightness of run-
ning leapt up behind me and embraced me
in his arms, and did me none other hurt,
but so led me out of the way and so rode
still behind me the space of two hours, and
at the last brought me into a secret place,
thick of bushes, and there he found his
company, who were come thither and
scaped all dangers, for the Englishmen
pursued not so far. Then, as he shewed
me, he had great joy of me and led me
" and a strong house among the
Thett
called Herpelepin,' and the gentleman that
look me was called Brien Coslerec: he
was a goodly man, and, as it hath been
shewed me, he is as yet alive ; howbeit, he
is very aged. This Brien Coslerec kept
me seven year with him and gave me his
daughter in marriage, of whom I had two
daughters. I shall shew you how I was
delivered.
'It happened at the seven years' end one
of their kings, named Arthur Mackemur,
king of Leinsler, made an army against
I lliis has bcEn mppotcil In lie F,l|ihiii, bm th:
L
banner. He was taken on the some courser
that he took me on, Ihe horae was well
known among the earl of Oimond's folks ;
and then he shewed how I was alive and
was at his manor of Herpelepin, and bow I
had wedded his daughter, whereof the duke
of Clarence, sir William Windsor and the
Englishmen were right glad. Then it was
shewed him thai, if he would be delivered
out of prison, that he should deliver me
into the Englishmen's hands, and my wife
and children. With great pain he made
that bargain, for he loved me well and my
wife his daughter and our children ; when '
he saw he coutd make his finance none :
otherwise, he accorded thereto, but he le- 1
tained mine eldest daughtra- still with him.
So I and my wife and our second daughter
returned itilo England, and so I went
and dwell beside Biistow on the river of
Severn. My two daughters are married,
and she in Ireland hath three sons and two
daughters, and she that I brought with
me hath four sons and two daughters.
And because the language of Irish is as
ready to me as the English tongue, for I
have always continued with my wife and
taught my children the same speech, there-
fore the king my sovereign lord and his
council commanded me (o give attendance
on these four kings and to govern and
bring them to reason and to Ihe usage
them to be under his obeisance
crown of England, and they wei
hold it for ever. And yet I t
ht all that I did my power to eoaigo aoi well in clothi^ aa jtt.|
table and make c
nor fair ; then I thought I aha
them to change that mamier. Tl
cause their minstrels, their ser'
varlets to sit with them and to ci
own dish and to drink of their
they shewed me that the usage
country was good, for ihcy to
things (except their beds) they
lived as common. So the foui
ordained other tables to be cover
hall after the usage of Englan
made these four kings to sit at
table, and their minstrels at anotb
and their servants and varlets a
beneath them, whereof t^ seen
were displeased and beheld each
wonld not eat, and said how I wi
from them their good usage, whi
had been nourished. Then I
them, smiling to appease them, ll
not honourable for Iheir estates
they did before and ihal they mu
and use the custom of England,
it was the king's pleasure they
do, and how he was charged so
them. When they heard that, the
it, because (hey had put ihemsel'
the obeisance of the king of Ei^
persevered in the same as long
with them. Yet they had one u
I knew well was used in (heir
and that was they did wear no
I caused breeches of linen d
for them. While I \
ised them to leave n
IRISH AFFAIRS
433
'^ '^ere not content and said how they
^^^^^ on God and on the Trinity, as
Wi as we. Then I demanded on what
?ope Was their affection. They answered
jj^jonhimof Rome. Then I demanded
tf they would not gladly receive the order
M knighthood, and that the king of Eng-
■nd should make them knights according
!o the usage of France and England and
>ther countries. They answered how they
rere knights already and that sufficed for
bem. I asked where they were made
D%hts, and how, and when. They an-
gered that in the age of seven year they
ere made knights in Ireland, and that a
ng maketh his son a knight, and if the
n have no father alive, then the next of
s blood may make him knight ; and then
is young knight shall begin to joust with
lall spears, such as they may bear with
sir ease, and run against a shield set on
stake in the field, and the more spears
it he breaketh, the more he shall be
noured. I knew their manner well
ough, though I did demand it. But
sn I said that the knighthood that they
d taken in their youth sufficed not to
2 king of England, but I said he should
re them after another manner. They
manded how. I answered that it should
in the holy church, which was the most
)rthiest place. Then they inclined some-
lat to my words.
* Within two days after the earl of
mond came to them, who could right
ill speak the language, for some of his
ids lay in those parts : he was sent to
em by the king and his council. They
I honoured him and he them : then he
II in sweet communication with them, and
: demanded of them how they liked me.
iiey answered and said : ** Well ; for he
ith well shewed us the usage of this
untry ; wherefore we ought to thank him
id so we do." This answer pleased well
e earl of Ormond. Then he entered
tie and little to speak of the order of
ivalry, which the king would they should
ceive : he shewed it them from point to
>int, how they should behave themselves
id what pertained to knighthood. The
rl's words pleased much these four kings,
tiose names were these : first, the great
'Neal, king of Meath ; the second Brian
Thomond, king of Thomond ; th^ third
2F
Arthur of Mackemur, king of Leinster ; the
fourth Connor, king of Connor and Erpe :
they were made knights by king Richard
of England in the cathedral church of
Dublin dedicate of Saint John Baptist ; it
was done on our Lady day in March ; as
then it fell on a Thursday. These four
kings watched all the night before in the
church, and the next day at high mass
time with great solemnity they were
made knights, and with them sir Thomas
Ourghem, sir Jonathan Pado and sir John
Pado his cousin. These kings sate that day
at the table with king Richard : they were
regarded of many folks, because their be-
having was strange to the manner of Eng-
land and other countries, and ever naturally
men desire to see newelties.*
Then I, sir John Froissart, said : * Henry,
I believe you well, and I would it had cost
me largely that I had been there ; and
su'rely this year past I had come hither, an
it had not been for that I heard of the
death of queen Anne of England, which
did let me. But one thing I would desire
of you to know, how these four kings of
Ireland came so soon to the king of Eng-
land's obeisance, when king Edward, the
king's grandfather, who was so valiant a
prince and so redoubted over all, could
never subdue them nor put them under,
and yet he had always war with them ;
and in that they are subdued now, ye said
it was by treaty and by the grace of God.
Indeed the grace of God is good ; whoso
can have it, it is much worth : but it is
seen nowadays that earthly princes getteth
little without it be by puissance. I desire
to know this, for when I shall come into
Hainault, of which country I am of, I shall
be examined of this and many other things,
both by duke Aubert of Bavi^r, earl of
Hainault, of Holland and of Zealand, and
also by his son William of Bavier, who
writeth himself lord of Frise, which is a
great country and a puissant, which country
the said duke and his son claimeth to have
by right succession, and so did their pre-
decessors before them, but the Frisons
would never fall to any reason nor come
under obeisance, nor as yet do not unto this
day.' Then answered Henry Christead
and said : * Sir John, to shew you the
very truth I cannot, but as many a one
saith, and it is to suppose, that the great
434
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
puissance that the king had over with him,
and tarried there in their country nine
months, and every man well paid, abashed
the Irishmen : also the sea was closed from
them on all parts, whereby their livenges
and merchandises might not enter into
their countries, though they that dwell far
within the realm cared little for it, for they
know not what merchandise meaneth, nor
they live but grossly and rudely like unto
beasts, yet such as liveth on the marches
of England and by the sea coast use feat
of merchandise with us and into other
places. King Edward of noble memory in
his time had to answer so many wars, what
in France, Bretayne, Gascoyne and Scot-
land, so that his people were divided in
divers places and sore occupied, wherefore
he could not send no great number into
Ireland. But when the Irishmen saw the
great number of men of war that king
Richard had in Ireland this last journey,
the Irishmen advised themselves and came
to obeisance. And indeed of old time there
was a king in England named Edward,
who is a saint and canonised and honoured
through all this realm, in his time he sub-
dued the Danes and discomfited them by
battle on the sea three times ; and this
Saint Edward king of England, lord of
Ireland and of Acquitaine, the Irishmen
loved and dred him much more than any
other king of England that had been be-
fore : and therefore our sovereign lord king
Richard this year past, when he was in
Ireland, in all his armories and devices he
left bearing of the arms of England, as the
libbards and flower-de-luces quarterly, and
bare the arms of this Saint Edward, that is
a cross potent gold and gules with four
white martinets in the field ; ^ whereof it
was said the Irishmen were well pleased
and the sooner they inclined to him : for
of truth the predecessors of these four kings
obeyed with faith and homage to the said
king Edward, and they repute king Richard
a good man and of good conscience, and
so they have done to him faith and homage,
as they ought to do, and in like manner as
their predecessors sometime did to Saint
Edward. Thus I have shewed you the
manner how the king our sovereign lord
hath this year accomplished and furnished
^ That is, a cross potent (potencee) or, and four
white doves (coulons) in a field gules.
his voyage in Ireland. Put it in your
memorial to the intent that, when ye shall
return into your own country, ye may write
it in your chronicle with many other his-
tories that depend to the same matter.'
Then I thanked him and said it should be '
done. So I took leave of him. Then I
met with March the herald and I demanded
of him what arms this Henry Christead
bare, and I shewed the herald how this sir
Henry had shewed me the manner of the
king's journey in Ireland, and the state of
the four kings, who had been, as he said,
in his governing more than fifteen days at
Dublin. The herald answered me and
said : * Sir, he beareth in his arms silver, a
chevron gules, three besants gules.* All
these things I did put in writing, because
I would not forget them.
Thus I tarried in the king of England's
court as long as it pleased me, not always
in one place, for tne king oftentimes re-
moved to Eltham, to Leeds, to Kingston,
to Sheen, to Chertsey or to Windsor, aboot
the marches of London. And I was in-
formed of a truth that the king wrote to
his uncle the duke of Lancaster, for they
of Acquitaine sped so in their business,
that their country abode still to the crown
of England. Then it was concluded by
general council of England that the gift
that the king had given to the duke of
Lancaster must needs abide still as his
own. Howbeit, the duke of Gloucester
would that his brother might have enjoyed
the king's gift, but his saying could not be
heard in that case : for they of the realm
of England (because of doubts and casual-
ties in time to come) heard well the words
of them of Bordeaux and of Bayonne, and
considered well that if the heritage of
Acquitaine were put from the crown (rf
England, it should be in time to come a
great prejudice to the realm, which they
would in no wise should fortune : f(*
always Bordeaux and Bayonne and the
frontiers and marches of Gascoyne had kept \
and augmented greatly the honour of the ^
realm of England. These things were well
considered of the wise men of the king's
council, the duke of Gloucester absent, for
before him no man durst speak. So the
matter abode in this case.
We shall leave of this matter and speak
of the king of England's ambassadors, as
She earl of Rutland and Ihe eail mnrEihal
and other, Ihat were sent into France to
tieaC of the marriage between king Richard
their lord and the daughter of Charles,
>rencli king, who was but eight years of
age ; and I aholl shew you how they sped.
£l/MMAf{y.—Tki English ambassador!
■aire ■mell receivid in France anil saiv Iks
Jfoting lady Isabel. Tkiy nlumid with a
Aafeful aarwer, though many in France
Kierr against the marriage.
Ont Robert le Meneusl, called Robert
lErmile, ■aiho had had a miraculous vision
in returning front ihe East, had laboured
Aard for peace both with the French king
.iiAPTERS cci, ecu [CCV, CCVl]
SUMMARY. — The lord de la Ritdh-e
mdsirfohtt U Mircier vitri delivered out
'I prisaii, but commmuied to leave Paris.
Peace Was niade between Ike duke of
'■■ ^a.my and Oliver de CHsson.
■'•■!cr de Craan, under Ihi protection of
iiike of Burgundy, returned secretly to
CHAPTER CCIII [CCVI]
.NUMMARY. — The king of Hungary sent
litltrs to the French king asking for help
agaiusl the Turks, who threatened his
enmtry. It was resolved that an army
tlUuldge wit&fokn earl of Nevers, son of
Ike duke of Burgundy, as its leader, aiui
v-ith him Ihe lord of Coney and Philip
d .irtois, constable of France.
SUMMARY.— Tki earl of Oslre7!anl pt
pared to go into Friesland, and Ihe earl of
■Severs set forth to Hungaiy.
The duchess a/Anjou, ipieen of Naples,
had a suit in Ihe parliameni chamier of
Paris against Peler de Croon for a hundred
thousand franks, and obtained his pardon
from other charges thai he might answer it.
fudgment n<ai given against him, and he
was put in prison till Ihe sum should be
CHAPTER CCVI [CCX]
SUMMARY. — The martiage u-as ar-
ranged between the king of England and
the daughter of Ihe French king. The
duke of Lancaster married his mistress
Catherine de Roit {widow of Hugh Swin-
ford), which caused indignation among
many great ladies, as the duchess of Glou-
cester, Ike countess of Derby and Ihe counless
of Arundel, wko saidtkat Ikey ivouldnever
come into any plcue where she should be
present.
Tub history thus continues ;—
Now let us H little speak of the journey
of the earl of Nevers and the lords of
France and what they did the same summer
in Hungary ; and after we shall speak of
the going into Frise of the earl of Hainault
and the earl of Oslrevant. The earl of
Nevers and his company with many valiant
men that he bad of France and of other
countries, when they were come into
Hungary itito a great city called Bude,
the king of Hungary made them good
cheer and well they deserved it, for they
were come far off to see him. The inten-
tion of the king was that, or he set forward
with his puissance and with the aid of
France to enter into the field, to hear
fiisC some news from the great Turk, called
Amurath-baquin,' who had sent him word
in the month of February that surely he
would be in Hungary or the end of the
month of May, and that he would pass the
water of Dunoe ; " of which message many
had great marvel. And some said that
there is in a manner nothing but that
man may do il, considering that the Turk
1 Th[s
He was called
her, Bnd iho uddi.
le. like ■ bcit ' in ' 5<ander-beg.'
i
436
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
is valiant and puissant and desireth much
deeds of arms : ' therefore sith he hath said
it, by all likelihood he will do it, and if he
pass not the Dunoe to come hither to this
side, then let us pass over and enter into
Turkey with puissance : for the king of
Hungary with such aid as he hath of
strangers shall well make an hundred thou-
sand men, and such a number of such men
are well able to conquer all Turkey and
to go into the empire of Perse ; and if we
may have one journey of victory upon the
great Turk, we shall do after what we list,
and shall conquer Syria and all the holy
land of Jerusalem, and shall deliver it from
the hands of the soudan and the enemies
of (iod. For at the summer next coming
the French king and the king of England,
who will conjoin together, shall raise up a
great number of men of arms and of archers
and shall find the imssages open to receive
them. Then nothing shall abide before us,
but all shall be conquered and put in our
obeisance, when we shall go all together.'
Thus deviseti the Frenchmen that were in
the realm of Hungary.
WTien the month of May was come,
trusting to hear tidings of Amurath-baquin
the great Turk, the kin^j of Hungary sent
to the jxissages of the nver of Dunoe and
sent throughout his realm to assemble his
puissance together, and the lords of the
Rhodes * came to him strongly, and all the
month of May they tarried for the coming of
the Saracens, but no tidings could be heard
of them. Then the king of Hungary sent
such as knew the country beyond the river
of Dunoe, to search to have some tidings
of the great Turk. Such as went searched
all the country beyond the bras of Saint !
Ciei^rge ' and to the marches of Alexandria, |
of Damascus and Antioch, but they could
hear no news of Amurath-baquin nor of
nt)ne army toward. Then they returned
and shewed the king what they had heard
and seen. Then the king assembleil his
council and called the lords of France, !
who desired to do deetls of arms. The
king sliewed them how he had sent men
into Turkey lu have knowledge what his
oneniics diil. and how ihev could hear no
* rUc knij:ht<« of Saint John : so afterw.irds the
>;ranJ prior of the Hospital is called the 'great
master of Rhtxles.' I
- That is. the nardancllcs.
rv
tidings of Amurath-baquin nor no likdi*
hood of his approaching, for all the promise
he had made to pass the Dunoe and to
enter into Hungary to fight with the Chris*
tian men, or mid May should pass; wImr*
fore the king demanded what counsel th^
would give him to do. Then the lord «
Coucy for all the other said : ' Sir, thoa|ii
Amurath-baquin come not forward acconi*
ing to his promise and maketh but a jue
thereof, yet that ought not to let us to ao
deeds of arms and to pursue our enemiesi
seeing we be assembled to that purpose.'
Thus all the Frenchmen, Almains aad
other strangers shewed well how they htd
great desire to seek out Amurath-baqdB
to fight with him ; which was to their greit
honour. The lord of Coucy's words were
affirmed by all the strangers : it was aB
their opinions how they could employ thdr
season and time no better.
Then it was ordained by the king and
by his marshals that every man should pre-
pare himself to be ready to set forward it
a day assigned, which was the octave flf
Saint John the Baptist. Then officers and
other servants apparelled for their masten
all things necessary, and the Frenchmen,
thinking to be fresh and gay, spared neither
gold nor silver. Their departure fiOD
Bude, the sovereign city of Hungary, vis
goodly to regard. The constable of Hnn-
gary had the vaward with a great number
of Hungarians and Almains with him, be*
cause he knew the countries ; and next
after him rode the Frenchmen, with the
constable of France, the earl de la Marches
the lord of Coucy, sir Henry and sir Philfl>
of Bar and divers other ; and with the king
rode the great lords of his country, as
reason was, and beside the king rode John
of Burgoyne and oftentimes devised with
the king. They were in the field a thre^
score thousand horse, they had but iew
afoot, saving such as were followers. The
company of the Christian men were noUe
and well ordered, and of Hungary there
were many cross-bows a-horseback. The
army journeyed so long that they came to
the river of Dunoe, and passed over in ships
and barges and such bridges as they had
ordained for that purpose. It was eight
days or they were all passed over, and as
they passed they lodged them, every com-
jxiny tarr)'ing for other. This river of
mm
EXPEDITION TO TURf^EY
437
nmoe ilepurteih the realms of Hungary
nd Tuikev asunder.
When the Christian men were all over
nd nothing tairied behtnil, and were in
»e frontiers of Turkey, they greatly re-
(iccii nnd dedred greally to do deeds of
rmsi. There they took counsel and deter-
mined to CO and lay siege to a lown in
'urkey called Cometle ; and is they Dr-
ained so Ihey did, and besieged it, as they
sight well do, for it llood in a plain
ountry and a river joining to it with ships
llereon, called Mette,' the head coming
lit of Turkey and falling into the sea at
he river of Diinoe. The river of Dunoe
£ a. great river of three hundred miles in
Sngth* from the lieginning till it enter into
he sea, which were the moat jjrofitable
iver in all the world for the realm of
Iimgary, if the ships that be Ihereon
Dighl issue nut thereof into the sea ; but
fcey cannot, for in the mouth thereof,
vhen Ihey shouU) issue into the sea, there
B in the river a mountain, which de-
Mrleth the river in two parts, and makelh
inch bruit and noise, that it niay well be
leard seven mile off; and for that c
here is no ship that dare approach net
I. Along by this rivet side' there lie
Tieadows and pastures, whereby all the
country is well served, and divers vines
Khich in season make good wines, which
:he Turks do make and put into goat-skins
and sellelh it unto Christian men ; for
according to (heir law they dare drink no
•vine, to be known ; it is defended them on
pain of life; but they eat the raisins and
ihey have other good fruits and spices,
whereof [hey make drink, and use greatly
lo drink goat's milk, which refresheth them
in the hot season.
Thus the king of Hungary and his hiet
lodged before the city of Cometle at their
ease and pleasure, for no man troubled
their siege. And when they came liefore
the city, Ihey found the fruits ripe, the
which was great pleasure to them. They
made lo this city divers assaults, and ihey
«iilhin defended themselves, trusting daily
to have aid and succour of AmuraCh-baquin
(heir lord, to raise the siege with puissance;
but he did not, whereby the city was taken
by force of assault and destroyed with great
slaughter of men, women and children ;
for the Christian men that entered had no
mercy nor pity. When this city was thus
won, the king of Hungary dislodged and
went forward into Turkey, and was deter-
mined to go and lay siege to a great city
called Nicopoly ; and as [hey rode, they
found in their way the town of Quaire,'
and laid sj^e lo it fifteen days or it was
won, but 6nal1y it was won W assault and
dean destroyed, and so passed forth. And
in their way Ihey found another lown and
a slrong castle called Brehappe,' and a
knighl of Turkey was lord thereof and was
within the castle lo defend it. The king
and his army vere lodged within a mile,
where was a fair river, and about the town
there was none. There the earl of Nevers
was made knight and raised his banner,
and wilh him were made more than three
hundred knighls, and all Ihey and their
companies went before Btehappe and be-
sieged it and won the lown perforce within
four days, but not the castle, it was so
strong. The lord of Grehappe saved much
of his people by force of the castle, who
was called Corbadas, alight valiant knight,
and he had other three brethren, one named
Maladius, anolher Balachius and the third
Ruffin. After this town was won, the
Christian men were before the castle seven
days and made divers assaults, but they lost
more than they won. The four knights
brethren that were within shewed well l^
Iheir defence that Ihey were valiant men.
When the Frenchmen had considered well
the force of the castle and ihe valiant
ordering of the Turks wilhin and the de-
for Ihey had knowledge how the king of
Hungary would go and lay si^e lo Ihe
Strong lown of Ntcopoly. Thus the sie^e
Ijefore Brehappc brake up, and they witlun
the castle were in peace, but the town was
lean brent. Then the earl of Nevers and
ill Ihe lords of France resorted to the
king's army, ordering themselves to go lo
Nicopoly.
When Corbadas of Brehappe saw Ihe
lege broken up, he was right joyful and
said to his company : ' We need nu more
fear Ihis season ; though my I
1 Kaara. ' Belarntlchi.
438
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
brent and exiled, I shall right well recover
it again : but of one thing I marvel greatly,
and that is that I can hear no news from
my lord the king Basach, called Amurath-
baquin ; for the last time that I saw him
in the city of Nicopoly, he said unto me
that this May time he would be in this
country, and had intention to pass with a
great puissance the bras of Saint George
and to go into Hungary to fight with the
Christian men, and so he sent word to the
king of Hungary. And yet he hath done
nothing, and thereupon they of Hungary
be fortified, and have as now great succour
out of France, and have passed the river of
Dunoe and are entered into Turkey, and
have and do destroy the country, for there
is no resistance made against them, and they
think surely to go and lay siege before
Nicopoly. The city is strong enough to
resist the siege a long season, if it be well
defended and kept : we are here four
brethren and knights of the lineage of king
Basach : we ought and are bound to defend
his right, therefore let us order ourselves
as I shall shew you. I and my brother
Maladius we shall go to the city of Nico-
poly, to aid to help and defend it, and my
brother Balachius shall abide here to keep
this castle of Brehappe, and my brother
Ruffin shall pass the bras of Saint George
and go seek out Amurath-baquin and shew
him everything that is passed and done,
and advise him for his honour to intend to
defend his heritage and to come with such
puissance that may resist the Christian
men and to break their purpose, or else
he shall lose the realm oi Armeny, which
he hath conquered, and his own country
also ; for by all imagination the king of
Hungary and the Christian men are
gathered to the intent to do some great
enterprise.' His three brethren agreed to
his saying. On this appointment they pre-
pared themselves to depart.
So in this season siege was laid before
Nicopoly, and Corbadas of Brehappe and
Maladius his brother came and entered into
Nicopoly, whereof they of the city were
right joyful, and Balachius abode still at
Brehappe to keep the castle, and Ruffin,
when he saw time, by night he passed the
Christian army, for he knew well the
country, and passed over the bras Saint
George and searched for Amurath-baquin.
And the same season he was at Quayre
with the soudan of Babylon, to have aid
of men of him. Ruffin found this Turk
there ; and when king Basach saw him,
he had marvel and thought surely he
should hear some news out of Turkey.
Then he demanded what tidings. 'Sir,'
quoth Ruffin, * all the country desireth sore
to see you there, for the king of Hungaiy
w^ith puissance hath passed the river of
Dunoe and is entered into Turkey, and
hath done great damage and hath brent
and assailed a five or six of your closed
towns. And when I departed from Bre-
happe, he was in purpose to go and lay
siege to Nicopoly. Corbadas and Mala-
dius my brothers with such men of war as
they have are entered into Nicopoly to
help to defend the town, and my brother
Balachius is still at Brehappe to keep the
castle there : and, sir, of a surety there is
in the company with the king of Hungary
the goodliest army and best appointed
come out of France, that ever was seen.
Wherefore, sir, it behoveth you to as-
semble your host and friends and return into
Turkey, to cause your enemies to return
again over the river of Dunoe. An ye do
it not with great puissance, it will be hard
to bring it about.' * What number be
they?* quoth Amurath-baquin. *Sir,'
quoth he, * they be more than hundred
thousand, and the goodliest men of the
world and best armed, and all on horse-
back. ' Amurath-baquin gave none answer,
but entered into the soudan's chamber and
shewed the soudan all the whole matter,
as his knight had shewed him. Then the
soudan said : * We must provide for it :
ye shall have men enow to resist them.
Needs we must defend our law and our
heritage.' * That is true, sir,' quoth
Amurath-baquin. * Now my desires are
come to pass ; for I have always desired
none other thing but that the king of Hun-
gary with his puissance might once come
over the river of Dunoe and enter into
Turkey. In the beginning I will suffer a
season, but at the end they shall pay for
the scot. Of all this I had knowledge four
months past by my great friend the lord
of Milan, who sent me goshawks, ger-
falcons and falcons to the number of twelve,
which were the best and fairest that ever I
saw, and with this present he wrote to me
ly name all the heads and chief captains
if the bajons of France, such as should
pme to make me war. In the which
Btlers was aUo contained, that if I might
;et them in my danger, they should be
^orth to me a million of fionns, and also
low there should be in their company of
he limitees ' of France mote than five
Umdred knights, valiant men of aims ;
Jso the duke of Milan wrote that surely
hey will give me battle. Wherefore I
rill prepare to meet with (hem by art,
idvice and good ordinance, for they are
aen of great feat, and so valiant in aims
hat they will not fly nor recule. They
irc woitiy of Ibank to issue out of their
nvn nation by valiantncss to find deeds of
irms, and I trust to accomplish tbeii
leaires within three months, so that they
ihsU have enough to do.'
To consider these words, one ought
^eatly to marvel that the lord Caleas, earl
jf Veitus and duke of Milan, who was
reputed to be a Christian man, baptized
uitl regenerate after the Christian law,
would seek oi require love or alliance with
a king miscreant, out of our law and faith,
or to send him gifts and presents, as he did
every year, as dogs, hawks and fine linen
clothes, which aie right pleasant to the
Saracens, for they have none but that
Cometh from our parts : also the great
Turk sent to him again other presents of
rich cloth of gold an<I precious stones,
whereof the Saracens have gieat plenty.
But in those days the earl of Vertus, duke
of Milan, and sir Galeas his father reigned
as tyiaals and so held ttieil seignories.
'SUMMARY.— Here is relMed the history
ef Ike lards of Milan, haw they obtained
Ihiir fovisr aiid hma Caleas earl of Verlus
ilciv his uiule aad reigjud alone.
Tag aulkor roatinaes :—
This Galeas put in prison all his uncle's
chQdren, such as he could gel, and took
possession of all his uncle's seignorics and
joined them to his own. and «! reigned in
great puissance and riches : for he raised up
such matters whereby he gathered together
great riches, as impositions, gabels, sub-
sidies, dimes, and all other extortions,
.whereby he was much more dread than
^^•V\^
beloved. He beld tbe enor and opinion
of his father that was, how one should
nother honour nor worship God. He took
fiom abbeys and priories much of their
revenues and look them to himself : he
said the monks were too deliciou sly nour-
ished with good wines and delicious meats,
by which superfluities (he said) they could
not rise at midnight nor do their service as
they should do. He said Saint Benet held
' the order of his leligioc after (hat
ner, and so (he said) he would make
them to live with ^gs and small wine, to
clear their voices to sing the higher. These
lords in theii days lived like popes : they
did great despites in their time to men of
holy Church : they set nothing by the
pope's curse, and specially after the schism
bt^an and that there was (wo popes ; (hat
the one cursed, the other assoiled. The
irds of Milan did but mock at their
doings, and so did many other loids through
the world.
le daughter of this lord Galeas duke of
□ was duchess of Orleans, whose con-
ditions were like to her fcthei's and not to
her mother's, who was daughter (o king
John of France. This lady was of high
mind, eovious and covetous on the delights
and state of this world. Gladly she would
have seen the duke her husband to have
attained to the crown of France, she had
not cared how. A general fame and
slander ran upon her, that all the infirm-
ities the king had, which no physician
could lemedy, came all by her sorts and
aits ; and the chief discovering of her
works, whereby she was had in great sus-
pect, was this. This duchess of Orleans,
named Valentine, had a sol) by the duke
her husband, a fair child of ihe age of the
Dolphin, son to the king. On a time
these (wo cbildien were playing together
in the duchess of Orleans' chamber, and
suddenly there was cast down an apple
full of poison on the pavement on the
same side (hat the Dolphin was on, to
the intent that he should have taken and
eaten it ; but, as grace was, he did not, Ibi
the duchess' son ran after the apple and
took it and ate thereof, wherewith he was
poisoned and died, nothing could save him ;
and such as had Charles the young Dolphin
to keep took him thence, and he never
came after in the duchess' chamber. Of
440
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
this adventure great bruit and murmura-
tion ran through all the city of Paris and
in other places. Thus it was said by her
of all the people, so that the duke her hus-
band perceived it well ; for bruit ran
through Paris that, if her husband did not
put her away out of the king's court, they
would fetch her away by force and cause
her to die : for the people said she would
empoison the king and his children, and
that she had enchanted the king ; for the
king in all his infirmities would not see the
queen nor none other woman, but all only
this duchess of Orleans. Upon which
saying and for doubt thereof her husband
had her away and put her out of the house
of Saint -Pol in Paris and sent her to a
castle beside Paris upon the way of Beau-
vais, called Asnieres, and there she was
kept a long season and never went out of
the castle ; and at last she was sent from
thence to Chateauneuf on the river of
Loire, and the duke of Orleans had great
displeasure to her because of the adventure
of the death of his son, but by reason that
he had other children by her somewhat it
brake his displeasure.
These tidings came to Milan, and the
lord Galeas was informed how his daughter
was in trouble and in great danger, whereof
he was sore displeased with the French
king and his council. Then he sent a
sufficient messenger, as sir Jaques of Verme
and other, to Paris to the king and his
council in excusing his daughter, saying
that if any person would accuse her of
treason, he should be fought withal at
utterance in that quarrel. When these
messengers came to Paris, the king was in
good health, but he took no heed of those
messengers nor of their excuse, and so they
were shortly answered, nothing to their
pleasure ; so they returned into Lombardy
and declared to the duke of Milan all that
they had seen and done. Then the duke
was in greater displeasure than he was before
and reputed it a great injury, and then sent
his defiance to the French king and to all
the whole realm of France. And when his
defiances were brought to Paris, the lords
and knights with the French army were as
then in Ilungary and entered into Turkey ;
and for the despite and hate that the duke
of Milan had to the French king and to
some of his council, therefore he held in
amity and alliance the great Turk and
shewed him of the secrets of France.
Now we shall leave speaking of the duke
and speak of the great Turk and of the
barons of France and of other Christian
knights, that were as then in Turkey.
CHAPTER CCVII [CCXI]
How the great Turk desired the soudan and
many other kings Saracens to aid him with
men of war to resist against the Christiai
men, and how many valiant Saracens
came to him out of far countries.
It was not long after but that the great
Turk departed from Quayre from the
soudan, who promised to send him shorty
great ajd of the best men of arms of all hs
seignories, to resist against the puissance
of the king of Hungary and the Frcndi*
men ; and the great Turk sent into aD
realms and countries, whereas he thought
to have any aid and succour: for he
considered and said that if the French-
men conquered Turkey, all other reahns
adjoining should tremble for fear cf
them, and thereby their faith and belief
should decay and become under the sub-
jection of the Christian men, which thejf
had rather die. And thus at the desires
of the soudan and the great Turk manf
kings Saracens inclined unto their desires,
as m Perse, in Mede and in Tarse, and
also out of the septentrion and out of the
realm of Lecto and to the bounds of
Pruce. And forasmuch as they were in-
formed that their enemies the ChristiaiB
were flower of chivalry, these kings Sara-
cens and other lords of their law did choose
out among them the best travailing and
expert men of arms in all their countriei
This assembly could not be suddenly done,
nor their purveyances so soon done. The
great Turk set himself forwards into the
field, always abiding for his people that
came to nim from far countries, and
specially out of Tartary, Mede and Perse.
There assembled many valiant Saracens
out of all countries : they were desirous to
prove their strengths against the Christian
men.
Now let us speak of the Christian men
being before Nicopoly.
■a
CHAPTER CCVIII [CCXII]
irks during Ihe sif^e before Nicopoly.
r lliat were bc^eced within Ihe siTong
of Nicopoly defended them selves
valiantly : liowbell, thej were soie
led thai they heard no (idings from
real Turk. The emperor of Conetan-
le^ had written unto them that hi
D the puts of Alexindrin and was nol
en msscd the hras Saint George ; sr
Chnstiui men held their si^e slill
Nicopoly : they had victuals pieoly
'' cheap, ihat came out of Himgary
r nwrches near adjoining. And
iby the lord Coucy and other French-
took pleasure to tide forth at adven-
to gp see the country further in ; sc
departed from the siege, about the
ler of (ive hundred spears and as many
havs and archers, all horsemen. The
Coucy was captain of that jopmey,
be lord Raynold of Roye and the lord
■q his company, and thechatelain
is, the lord of Montcavrel and
^ of Montquel, with divers other,
ihey had guides with them, sach as
' the country, and they had certain
den well mounted to discover the
tj before them. The same week
: was an army of the Turks assembled
her [o Ihe num)ier of twenty thousand
for they were informed how the
tuA men were abroad destroying
eountry. In resistance thereof they
|Ued. Iwether and came to a strait
I ibe Chrislian men must puss, an
imnld enter inio the plain of Turkey,
Ihey could not well enter no [other]
Uld there Ihe Turks tarried a two
Uld could hear no tidings of the
tkn men, and so the third day Ihey
ftt to have returned. Then the
thn men's foreriders came to Bre-
t* near where the Turks were ; and
ihe Turks saw Ihem approach, they
>atianUuirwr]l« ' Conit^uiUne lli« noble'
slood Still dose together lo see the dealinj;
of the Christian men, and made no token
Bor sign to scrimmish with iheni. Tbesc
Christian men approached near lo the
Turks and saw well Ihey were a i;reBt
number, and yet they could not advise
them all ; and when they had well aviewed
them, they reculcd hack and came to the
lord Couey and shewed him what Ihey
had seen ; of which news the Christian
men were right joyful, and the lord Coucy
said ! ■ It is meet that we go and see Ihem
more nearer. Sith we be come so far for-
ward, we shall not depart without lighting
with them : if we should, it shall be lo our
blame and great rebuke.' 'That is true,'
quoth all the other knights that heard him.
Thus every man prepared himself and bis
horse, and rode toward Ihe place where
Ihe Turks were.
Anil between them and Ihe Turks there
was a little wood. When Ihe Christian
men came to the wood side, the lord of
Coucy said to the lord Raynold of Roye
and to ihe lord of Sempy ; ' Sirs, mine
adrice is (to the intent lo draw Ihe Turks
out of their strength) that ye Iwo shall
take two hundred' of our spears, and I
with the rest will abide here in this wood :
and ride ye so near Ihem, Ihat ye may
cause them lo come out, and then return
you and suffer them to chase you till ye
be past us in this wood, and then suddenly
turn upon them, and we shall close Ihem
in behind, and so we shall have them at
our will.' To this advice all the knights
inclinwi. Then two hundred of them that
were best horsed rode forth, and the rest,
who were an eight hundred, embushed
themselves covertly in the wood and there
arried. The other rode forth and came
:o the place were the Turks were.
When they saw the Christian men come,
.hey were right joyous, weening there had
been no more, and so came out of their
holds inIo the plain fields. And when the
Christian men saw time, they turned and
fled and made the Turks to cha<;e them.
They were so well horsed that the Turks
could not overtake them, and they chased
long that they passed the wood whereas
the embubhment was. When Ihe Turks
passed, the Christian n
and cried, ' Our Lady be with Ihe lord of
1 'AbuodRd.'
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSAKT
Coucy I ' anil so dashed In behind them
and mide greBt ocdsion. The Tnrks held
Ihein close logether, when Ihey saw how
ihcy were beset beioie and behind, and
did put themselves to defence as well
as they might ; but Ihcy kept none order,
for they were not ware of the rearguard,
and when they saw themselves £o suddenly
set on, they were abashed. The French-
men did quit themselves like valiant men
of arms and slew the Turks at their pleasure
in their flying : there were many slain, the
Christian men look none to mercy ; happy
were they that covild escape and return
from thence as they came. And then
the Christian men that had done that
deed relumed again to their host before
Nicopoly.
Then tidings ran over all the host how
the lord of Coucy by his wisdom and
valianlness had discomtited more than
fifteen thousand Turks. Many spake well
thereof, but the earl of Eu praised nothing
his deed, saying how it was done but by
pride, and how that he had put the Chris-
tian men, and specially his band, in great
adventure and peril, saying that with an
handful of men he fought foolishly with the
rout of twenty thousand Turks. He should
rather, seeing he was in will to do deeds
of arms and that the Turks were on the
field, have given knowledge, liefore he
assailed his enemies, to his head captain,
the lord John of Butgoyne, that he might
have had the renown and honour of that
entcr|irise. By seeming the earl of Eu
spake [hose words by envy that he had to
tile lard of Coucy, for all that voyage he
had no love to him, because he saw how
the lord of Coucy had the love and favour
of all his company and of other strangers,
which he deserved right well to have,' for
he was right near of the French king's
blood and bare in his arms flower-de-luces,
and also he was constable of France. Thus
Ihere engendered a great hate and evil will
covertly between the earl of Eu and the
lord Coucy, which hatred at last appeared
clearly, whereby great mischief icll the
same season upon the Christian men, as ye
shall hear after.
' Whkh
Eu) thought
iBeiroughl lo liave. because he was very
od to tbe French klne and tiarfi in biE
Now we shall leave to speak any m
at this rime of this matter and return
speak of Ihu king;s of England and of
ciiaptp:r ccix fccxiiii
SUMMA R Y. — The HtgetiaiioHi J«r pun
behvien Englaiiii and Prance amliiuiii,
aiui the kitig ef Englaitd met iki daJa ^
Bio-gxindy at Calais.
CHAPS. CCX, CCXI [CCXIV, CCXV]
SUMMARY.— Th/ diike AuUrl andin
soil the earl of Ostrtvant made their jn-
paralions to go inle Friesland, and afflid
for aid both in England and in Fnmt-
From England there came some men ^
arms and tom hundred archers : fivi
France five hundred spears tiiukr the mi
of Saint- Pol ami sir Charles dAlbra.
The army landed in Friesland and ^W
some victories, but al length retired li
Holland for the winter, having ci/nqiutid
but little.
CHAPTER CCXIl [CCXVI]
CHAPTER CCXIH [CCXVH]
How the siege before Nicopoly in Turlty
was raised by Aniurath-baquin, and hoH
llie Frenchmen were discomfited and lio"
the Hungarians Hed,
Ye have heard herehefore how the kinguf
Hungary and the lords of France fftrt
passed the river of Dunoe and were en-
tered into Turkey, and all the summer aflH
the month of July Ihey had done many
enterprises and had brought divers towns
to their subjection, for there was none that
resisted them, and had besieged the town
of Nicopoly, and had near brought it la a
small estate nigh ready to yield, fbr they
BATTLE OF NICOFOLl, 1396 {Sfpl. 25!
443
lould hear no iiewa of Amuratli-bsquin.
rhen the king of Hungaty said lo the lords
»( France and lo other : ' Sirs, thanked be
^od, we have had a fair season, we have
lestroyed part of Turkey : I reckon this
own of Nicopoly outs when we list ; h is
ID sore overlaid that it cannot long hold :
vherefbre, all things considered, I counsel
this town once won) that we go no further
»* this season. We shall draw again over
.Ite Sunoe into the realm of Hungary,
vhere I have many cities, towns and
;astlea ready furnished to receive you, as
reason is, seeing ye be come so far to aid
3ie to make war against the Turks, whom
[ have found hard and cruel enemies.
And this winter we shall make new pro-
vision against the next summer, and send
word to the French king wliat case we be
in, so that this next summer he may refresh
us with new men, and I believe, when
lie knoweth what we have done and
how everything standeth, he will have
great affection to come hither in his own
person ; for he is young and courageous
and loveth deeds of arms ; and whether
lie Cometh or not, by the grace of God this
next summer we shall win the realm of
-Armeny, and pass the bras of -Saint Geoi^e
and so into Surie, and win the ports of
Jaffa and Barulh and conquer Jerusalem
and all the Holy Land ; and if the soudan
come fbrwaril, we shall fight with him, for
lie shall not depart without battle.'
These or like words said the king of
Hungary to the lords of France, and
reckoned Nicopoly as their own. How-
"beit, fortune fell otherwise. All that
season the king Basach, called Amuiath-
baquin, had raised an army of Saracens,
some out of far countries, as out of Perse ;
many great men of the Saracens came
lo aid Amarath-baqtiin lo destroy Christen-
dom. They were passed the bras Saint
George lo the number of two hundred
thousand men. To say the truth, the
Christian men were not ascertained what
niimbet ihey were of. This king Basach
and his men approached near lo Nicopoly
l>y covert ways 1 they knew in feats of
arms as much as might be, and this king
WIS a valiant man, which shewed well by
reason of his policy. He ordered his bailies
mile' of ground, and before the hual, lo
shew a face ready, in a band an eight
ihoQsand Turks. The two wings of the
battle were open a-forefront and narrow
behind, and Amurath-baquin was in the
heart of the battle. Thus they rode all in
covert : these eight thousand Turks were
ordained lo make a face, and that as soon
as they should see the Christian men
approach, then Ihey to recule litlle and
little into the heart of the bailie, and then
the two wings, which were open before,
the Christian men being once entered
between them, to close together and join
into one company and then lo light with
their enemies. This was Ihe order of their
battle.
Thus in the year of our Lord God a
thousand three hundred fourscore and
sixteen, the Monday before the feast of
Saint Michael, about len of the clock, as
the king of Hungary sal at dinner at the
siege of Nicopoly, tidings came lo the host
how Ihe Turks were coming, and the scouts
that came in shewed how they had seen
the Turlts ; but their report was not true,
for they had not ridden so forward that
they had avicwed ihe two wings nor the
battle behind, they had seen no more but
the foreriders and vaward, for as soon as
they had seen them, they relumed. The
same season the greatest part of the host
were at dinner : then tidings was brought
to the earl of Nevers and to all other in
general by their scurrers, who said : 'Sits,
arm you quickly that ye be not surprised,
for the Turks are coming on you.' These
tidings greatly rejoiced the Christian men,
such as desired to do deeds of arms. Then
every man rose from their dinners and put
the tables from them and demanded for
their harness and horses, and Ihey were
well chafed before with drinking of wine.
Then every man drew inlo the field,
banners and standards displayed, every
man to his own banner : then the banner
of our Lady was displayed, therewith the
valianl knight sir John of Vienne, admiral
of France. And the Frenchmen were Ihe
first that drew into the field freshly appar-
elled, making small acconnt of the Turks ;
but they knew not that they were so great
a number as they were, nor that Amurath-
baquin was there in his own person.
As these lords of F
field, there came anta ihem the king of
Hungary's marshal in great hasle, who was
a viimnt knight called Henty of Enstein-
fichalle, upon a eood horse, with a. pennon
of his arms, of sifver a. cross sable anchored,
called in arniouty the iron of a mill-stone.'
When he came before the banner of our
La<iy, he stood still and to the most part
of the barons of France he said openly ;
'Sirs, I am senl hither lo you from ihe
king of Hungary, and he desireth you liy
me that ye set not on your enemies until
such lime as ye have word again from him ;
for it ought lo be doubled lest our scouls
have not brought the certainty of the num-
ber of ihc Turks : but within these two
hours ye shall hear other tidings, for we
have sent other foreriders forth lo aview
our enemies moie substantially than ihe
first did : and, sirs, ye may be sure the
Turks shall nut endamsige us, if ye tarry
till all our whole puissance be leather.
Sirs, thui is the order that the king and
his council hath ordered : 1 must return
again lo the king.' When he was departed,
the French lords assembled them together
to know what was best for Ihem to do.
Then it was demanded of the lord Coucy
what he thought best lo be done. He
answered and said ; ' I would counsel to
obey the king of Hungary's commandment,
for that order seemeth to be good.' And
US it was informed me, sir Philip of Artois,
earl of Eu and constable of France, was
not contented that the advice had not
first have been demanded of him ; then he
for pride and despite held the contrary
opinion and said : ' Yea, ar, yea, the Iiing
ea Hungary would have the flower and ,
chief honour of this journey. We hare the I
vaward, he hath granted it to us, and now
he would take it from us i^ain. Believe
him who will," for 1 do not.' And then
he said to the knight that bare his banner :
' In the name of God and Saint George,'
of a great presumption. Then
on sir John of Vienne, who
standard of out Lady,
him what he thought best to be d
' Sit,' quoth he, ' whereas wise ream
not be heard, then pride must re%g,
sith that the eail of Eu will needs set M
must needs follow : howbeit, we iboal
the stronger an if our puissance were*
iTOclher. Thus as they devised t>
field, still the Turks approached, »nt
two wings, each of sixty tboutand B
began to approach and to ctoi^ al '
the Christian men lielween them, so
they would have reculed, thn couM W
for they were closed in with the SancM
the wrings vrere so thick. Then din
knights that were well expert in
banner of our Lady, borne by itic
knight sir John of Vienne ; rvety '
France was in his coal armour, I
man seemed to be a king, th<
freshly apparelled. As it was j
when they began first lo fight
Turks, they were not past a seven nan
men. Lo, behold the great foil? and
rage, for if they had tarried for tfie kbl
Hungary, who were threescore tbool
men, they had been likely to have doi
great act : and 1^ them and by their p
all was lost, and they received such dm
that sith the battle of Roncesvauli, win
the twelve peers of France were d
Christendom received not so gnti
damage. Howbeil, or they weie dtM
filed, a great number of Turks wen ik
for Ihe Frenchmen discomfited Ilie
liattle of Ihe Turks and had Ihem fnd
till they came intoavnlley, where AbRB
liaquin was with his whole pulMI
Then the Frenchmen H'oald have reUS
lo Iheir host, but they could not, fcf I
were closed In on all parts. There m
sore battle: the Frcncnmen endured h
Then news came lo the king of Hmi
how the Frenchmen, Enelismnea and
mains were fighting with the ToAt,
had broken his commandment and CM
given them by his marshal ; wherewiH
was sore displeased, and not wtthoot |
cause. Then he saiv well how tw
M dT God and Saint Csorgi.' the great m
BATTLE OF NICOPOLI
445
im : ' Sir, we shall this day lose the
Jumey by reason of the pride of the
''renchmen, for if they would have be-
jeved me, we had been strong enough to
ave fought with our enemies.* And there-
with the king of Hungary looked behind
im and saw how his men fled away and
were discomfited in themselves : then he
iw well there was no recovery ; and such
s were about him cried and said : * Save
ourself ; for if ye be slain, all Hungary is
wt. Ye shall lose the field this day by
mson of the pride of the Frenchmen :
^eir valiantness tumeth to foolish hardi-
ness, for they shall be all slain or taken,
lone is likely to scape : therefore, sir, if
e believe us, save yourself and scape this
Langer.*
The king of Hungary was sore displeased
^hen he saw how he had lost the journey
fty disordering of the Frenchmen, and saw
lo remedy but to fly or else be taken or
lain. Great murder there was, for in
lying they were chased and so slain. They
\i Hungary fled without order, and the
Turks diased them : howbeit, God aided
he king of Hungary and the great master
*f the Rhodes, for they came to the river
>f Dunoe and found there a little barge
pertaining to the Rhodes. They entered
nto it but with seven persons and so
vent off the shore, or else they had been
dain or taken ; for the Turks came to the
river side and there slew many a Christian
man, such as had followed the king to save
themselves.
Now let us speak of the Frenchmen and
Almains, who fought valiantly. When the
lord of Montcavrel, a right valiant knight
of Artois, saw that the discomfiture ran
upon them, he had by him a son of his, a
young man. Then he said to a squire of
his: 'Take here my son and lead him
away by yonder wing which is open and
save him, and I will abide the adventure
with other of my fellows. ' When the child
heard his father say so, he said how he
would not depart ; but the father did so
much, that perforce the squire led him
away out of peril and came to the river of
Dunoe : but there the child had such care
for his father, that he took small regard to
himself, so that he fell into the river be-
tween two barges and there was drowned
without remedy. Also sir William of
Tremouille fought in that battle valiantly
and there was slain, and his son by him ;
and sir John of Vienne, bearing the banner
of our Lady, was slain, and the banner in
his hands. Thus all the lords and knights
of France that were there were destroyed
by the manner as ye have heard. Sir John
of Burgoyne, earl of Nevers, was so richly
beseen, and in like wise so was sir Guy
de la Riviere and divers other lords and
knights of Burgoyne, that they were taken
prisoners. And there were two squires of
Picardy right valiant men, called Gilliam
Beu and the borgne of Montquel, these two
by valiantness two times passed through
the field and ever returned in again and
did marvels, but finally there they were
slain. To say the truth, the Frenchmen
and other strangers that were there acquitted
themselves valiantly, but the Frenchmen's
pride lost all. There was a knight of
Picardy called sir Jaques of Helly, who
had dwelt before, in Turkey and had served
Amurath-baquin, and could somewhat
speak the language of Turkey. When he
saw the battle lost, he yielded himself, and
the Saracens, who are covetous of gold
and silver, took and saved him. Also a
squire of Tournesis called Jaques du Fay,
who had before served the king of Tartary
called Tamburin,^ as soon as this Jaques
knew that the Frenchmen came to make
war in Turkey, he took leave of the king
of Tartary and departed, and was on the
said field and taken prisoner by the king
of Tartary's men, who were there in the
aid of Amurath - baquin ; for king Tam-
burin of Tartary had sent to him great
number of men of war.
The Frenchmen were so richly arrayed,
that they seemed like kings ; whereby
they were taken and their lives saved : for
Saracens and Turks are covetous ; they
trusted to have great ransoms of these that
were taken, and reputed them greater lords
than they were. Sir John of Burgoyne
earl of Nevers was taken prisoner : in
like wise were the earls of Eu and de la
Marche, the lord Coucy, sir Henry of Bar,
sir Guy de la Tremouille, Bouciquaut and
divers other ; and sir Philip of Bar, sir
John of Vienne, William of Tremouille
and his son, slain, and divers other. This
battle endured three hours fighting, and
J That is, Tamerlane,
446
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
the king of Hungary lost all his baggage
and all his plate and jewels, and was glad
to save himself but with seven peisons with
him in a little barge of the Rhodes, else
he had been taken or slain without re-
covery. There were more men slain in
the chase than in the battle, and many
drowned : happy was he that might scape
by any manner of means.
When this discomfiture was done and
past, and that the Turks [and] such as were
sent thither by the soudan were withdrawn
into their lodgings, which was into tents
and pavilions that they had conquered,
which they found well replenished with
wine and meat ready dressed, wherewith
they refreshed them and made joy and
revel like such people as had attained
victory on their enemies, then Amurath-
baquin with a great number of minstrels,
according to the usage of their country,
came to the king of Hungary's chief tent,
which was goodly apparelled and hanged
with rich stuff; and there he took great
pleasure and glorified in his heart of the
winning of that journey and thanked their
god according to their law. Then he un-
armed him, and to refresh him he sat down
on a tapet of silk and caused all his great
lords to come to him to jangle and to talk
with them. He made as great mirth as
might be, and said how he would shortly
with great puissance pass into the realm
of Hungary and conquer the country and
after other countries upon the Christian
men, and to bring them to his obeisance :
for he said he was content that every man
should live after their own laws, he desired
nothing but the seignory; but he said he
would reign like Alisander of Macedon,
who was twelve year king of all the world,
of whose lineage he said he was descended.
All that heard him agreed to his saying.
Then he made three commandments : the
first was that whosoever had any prisoner
Christian, to bring him forth the second
day after into his presence : the second was
that all the dead bodies should be visited
and searched, and such as were likely to be
noblemen to be laid apart by themselves in
their raiments till he came thither himself,
for he said he would see them : the third
was to enquire justly if the king of Hungary
were dead or alive. All was done as he
commanded,
When Amurath-baquin had well refreshed
him, then to pass the time he went to
the place where the field was to see the
dead bodies ; for it was shewed him that
he had many of his men slain and that the
battle had cost him greatly, of the whidi
he had great marvel and could not he*
lieve it. Then he mounted on his hoise
and a great number with him: he had
with him two of his brethren called AH-
Basach and Sour-Basach, as some people
said, but he would not be known of them,*
for he said he had no brethren. When he
came to the place where the battle was, he
found it of truth that there were many
dead and slain : he saw that for one
Christian man dead he found thirty Turks
slain ; wherewith he was marvellously dis-
pleased, and openly said : * Here hath been
a cruel battle and marvellously defended of
the Christian men, but I shall make them
that be alive to buy it dearly.' Then the
king went to his lodging and so passed
that night in great furour of heart ; and in
the morning, or he was up, much people
came to his tent to know what they should
do with the Christian prisoners : the re-
nown ran that they should all be put to
death without mercy. Amurath-baquin,
for all his displeasure, ordained that sacb
Christian men as were in the battle in great
array, and likely to be great men, should be
all set together in one part ; for it was
shewed him that they might well pay great
ransoms. Also there were divers Saracens
and paynims of Perse, of Tartary, of Araby,
and Syrians, that had many prisoners, by
whom they thought to have great ad-
vantage, as they had indeed : they hid
them out of the way, so that they came not
to knowledge. Among other sir Jaques
of Helly was brought before Amurath-
baquin : he that had him durst not hide
him no longer. Sir Jaques de Helly was
beknown with some of the king's servants,
who took him from them that had him,
which was happy for him, as ye shall
hear after, for many Christian men were
afterward cruelly slain and put to death.
King Basach had commanded to enquire
which were the greatest of the Christian
men, and that they should be set aside to
1 'He had with him Ali-Basach and Sour-
Basach, who some said were his brethren, but he
would not acknowledge them,'
.'«i
i;-
FATE OF THE PRISONERS
W
tried o'
; theii
ohn of Burgoyne, eati
hief above atl other, and
kitois eiitl of Eu, Ihe eari of Marche, the
3rd Coucy, sir Henry of Bar, sir Guy of
7remoui]le, and other to the Duinher of
^ht persons, and Amurath-baqui
a see and to speak with Ihem, and beheld
bein a long season, and he conjured these
:)ids by Ihcir faith and law to say the
ruth, if Ihey were the same persons that
hey iinmed themselves for : and they
aid, 'Yea.' And yet to know the more
ertaioty he sent to them the French
might sir Jaques of Helly to know them ;
Qt he had served Amurath-ljaquin before,
herefore he had his life granted him. He
vas demanded if he knew the French
:nights prisoners. He answered and said :
I Ihink, if I see them, I shall know them.'
Then he was commanded to go and aview
hem and to shew plainly Iheir names.
He did as he was commanded ; and when
le came to them, he shewed them his ad-
lenlnre and how he was sent thither to
iiiow surely their names. Then they said ;
' Ah, sir Jaques, ye know us all, and ye see
veil how fortune is against us and how we
be in danger of this king r therefore lo
!a»e our lives make us rather greater than
we be indeed, and shew the king that we
be such men able to pay great ransoms,'
' Sirs,' quoth he, ' so shall I do, for I am
l»OUnd thereto. ' Then this knight returned
[o Amumth- baquin and to his council,
md said how those knights which he bad
ipoken with were of the greatest men in all
trance and were of the king's lineage, and
>aid they were aljle lo pay great ransoms.
Then Amu rath- baquin said how theh lives
(hould be saved, and all other prisoners
lo be slain and hewen all to pieces in ex-
imple of all other. Then the king shewed
llimseir before all the people that were
[here assembled, lo whom ihey all made
low reverence : they made a lane for
liin to pass through, every man with his
•word naked in his hand, and so came
;hither, where the said lords of France
itood ti^lher. Then the king would see
ihe correction of the other,^ which thing
'he Saracens were desirous to do.
jU^rn.
Then they were all brot^ht before
Amurath-baquin naked in their shirts, and
he beheld them a little and then turned
from them-WBid and made a sign that they
should be all slain, and so they were
brought through the Saracens, that had
ready naked swords in their hands, and so
slain and hewen all to pieces without mercy.
This cruel justice did Amurath-baquin that
day, by the which more than three hundred
gentlemen of divers nations were tormented
and slain for the love of God, on whose
souls Jesu have mercy. Among other was
slain sir Henry d'Antoing of Hainault.
And so it was, the lord Bouciquaut,
marshal of France, was one of them that
was brought naked before the king, and
had been slain with other, an the earl of
Nevers had not espied him. As soon as
he saw him, he went straight to Ihe king
and kneeled down and desired him afTectu-
ously to respite from die death that knight
sir Bouciquaut, saying how he was a great
man in France and able to pay a great
ransom. Amvuath -baquin condescended
to the request of the earl of Nevers, and
so sir Bouciquaut was set among them that
should be saved. Thus cruel justice was
done that day upon the Christian men (
and because that Amurath-baquin would
that his victory should be known in France,
he appointed out three of the French
knights to come before him, whereof sir
Jaques of Helly was one. Then the king
demanded of the earl of Nevers which of
the three knights be would choose to send
into France to the king and lo Ihe duke of
Burgoyne his father. Then the earl of
Nevers said : ' Sir, an it please you, I
would that this knight, sir Jaques of Helly,
should go thither ^m you and from us.'
So sir Jaques tarried with Amurath-baquin,
other two knights delivered to
death and so slain, which was pity.
Then Amu rath -baquin was well appeased
of his furour and understood how the king
of Hungary was scaped away alive : then
he determined to return into Turkey to a
city called Bursa, and so he did, and thither
all the prisoners were brought ; and then
irmy departed, and specially such as
: of far countries, as Tartary, Perse,
Mede, Surie, Alexandre and of Lecto.
Then sir Jaques Helly was delivered I
o France, and he wa'i commanded
448
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
to return through Lombardy and to re-
commend Amurath-baquin to the duke of
Milan, and also he was straitly commanded
that in every place as he passed to manifest
and publish the victory that Amurath-
baquin had upon the Christian men. The
earl of Nevers wrote to the French king
for himself and all his company, and to his
father the duke of Burgoyne and to the
duchess his mother. When this knight
had his charge, as well by writing as by
credence, he departed and took his way
towards France. Or he departed, he was
sworn and promised, as soon as he had
done his message in France, incontinent
to return again thither, which oath and
promise he accomplished like a true
knight.
Now we will leave speaking at this time
of Amurath-baquin and of the lords of
France prisoners, and we will speak of
other matters that fell the same season.
CHAPTER CCXIV [CCXVIII]
Of the poverty and misery that the Christian
knights of France and other nations
endured in the coming home to their
country.
After this great discomfiture, that the
Turks had upon the Christian men, such
knights as could save themselves, did. The
same Monday there was a three hundred
knights and squires that were gone a-
foraging and were not at the battle ; for
when they knew by them that fled that
the battle was done, they had no desire
to return again to their lodgings, but fled
as well as they might and took divers ways
to fly from the Turks. There fled both
Frenchmen, Englishmen, Almains, Scots,
Flemings and of other nations, and they
came into a country joining to Hungary,
called Blacquie ; ^ it was a country re-
plenished with divers people, they were
conquered upon the Turks and turned per-
force to the Christian faith. The keepers
of the ports, towns and castles suffered
these Christian men to enter and to lodge ;
but the next morning at their departure
they took from these knights and squires
all that they had and gave them poor coats
I Wallachiu,
and a little silver to pass therewith one
day's journey. This grace they shewed to
the gentlemen, and as for other yeomen
and varlets, they were spoiled all naked
and sore beaten and evil entreated without
pity. So they passed through the coontiT
of Blacquie in great poverty, and throop
Hungary : they could scant get bread nr
God*s sake, nor lodging at night. They
endured this danger in passing till thej
came to Vien in Austrich : there they woe
received more sweetly and refreshed and
new clad, and so through the realm of
Boeme ; for if they had found the Al-
mains so hard, they had never turned
again, but rather died for cold and hunger.
Every man that heard them tell of that
adventure had pity on them. So finaBjf
they came into France to Paris and theie
shewed their adventures. At the beginniif
they could not be believed : some in Pam
said : * It is pity these unthrifls be un-
hanged or drowned for telling of such lies.*
Howbeit, these tidings daily multiplied
with resorting of new men.
When the French king understood that
these news daily renewed, they wcie
nothing pleasant to him ; for it was a
great damage of the loss of the noblemei
of his blood and of other good knights and
squires of the realm of France. Then he
commanded no man to be so hardy to
speak any more of that matter, till he weie
better informed of the certainty, and com-
manded that all such as were come oit
of Hungary should be taken and put ili
prison, till the truth were known. So.
there were many put into prison, and
king had ordained, that if the news
not true, that they should be all dro
and put to death.
CHAPTER CCXV [CCXIX]
How the true tidings of the battle in Turkqrj
was known in the French king's house.
So it was, on Christmas day sir Jaqutfj
Helly about the hour of noon entered inloj
Paris and so took his lodging, and d^J
manded where the king was ; and it wail
shewed him that he was at Saint-Pol's ot)
the river of Seine : then he went thithet
There was with the king the duke 4\
t
TIDINGS BROUGHT TO FRANCE
449
Dileans his brother, the duke of . .^,
llie duke uf Suigoyne, the duke of Bour-
aon and the earl of ijouit-FQl, and divers
HbcT noblemen of the realm of France, as
■be usage was for such noblemen to be
vith the king at such high feasts. So sir
Faques of Helly entered into the court
looted and spurred : as then he was not
xknown, for he had of long time haunted
ai countries, lie did so much Ihnt he
:ame to the king's chamber, and said how
ae came from Arouratb-baqiun out of
Tuikey, and had been at the battle before
Nicopoly, where the Christian men had
lost ihe journey, and ^d he had letters
&om the eatl of Nerers and from other
t<ndE of francs, such as were prisoners.
Xhen he was brought to the king : he
kneeled down and wisely declared his mes-
sage, as well from Amurath-baquin as from
the earl of Nevers and other lords of
France prisoners in Turkey. The king
gave him audience, and was sweetly ex-
amined oi all the whole matter, and to
everything he answered so discreetly, that
the king was well content with him, and
'Mas light sortowiiil for the damage that the
king of Hungary and they had sustained.
Kowbeit, they were glad that the king of
XluDgatj was scaped without death or piison-
itient ; for they said he should recover right
~ \\ iigain Ibe loss and damage that he had
. 'i-r.-dat that time: also they were right
J I that the eaii of Nevers and the other
- were escaped the death, and were
as prisoners ; and they ^d there was
'■> iloubt but they should be ransomed and
tlilivered ; for sit Jaques of Helly said there ,
T^as no doubt but that Amurath-baquin
vould within the year put them to ransom,
fir he loved gold and riches, and that sir
Ja(]ues said he knew weU, because be
had long been conveKant in Turkey and
served Amuralh-baquin's father more than
iliiuc year. Thus the king right well
.ived this knight, and so did all other
!-. fuch as were there ; and every man
iie was happy in this world to be in
'I !. battle and to have the acquaintance
' a heatbeii king as Amuralh-baqutn
1 honi
:r for him and
1 his lineage. Then Ihe ki
I'^d all such as were in prison to be
cred, whereof they were giad.
U.S these news that sir Jaques of Helly
had brought spread anon abroad in France
and in other places : many were right
sorrowful for the loss of their fathers,
brethren, husbands and children, and not
without good cause, and specially the
Seat ladies of France, as the duchess of
urgoyne for her son the carl of Nevers,
and her daughter Mai^aret of Hainault
was sorrowful for the earl het husband r in
like wise was dolorous Mary of Berry,
countess of Eu, for her husband Philip of
Artois, constable of France, and in like
wise so was the countess of Marche, the
lady of Coucy and her daughter of Bar, the
laily of Sully and many other ladies, as Well
of France as of other places ; and when they
had wept enough, then they recomforted
themselves, in that they were not slain but
prisoners : but Such as knew their husbands,
fiithers, brethren, children and friends dead,
their lamentations endured long in France.
The duke of Buigoyne made much of
this knight sir Jaques of Helly, who had
brought him word that his son was alive,
and gave him many rich gifts and retained
bim as one of his lodgbts with two hundred
pound of revenues yearly dtuing his life.
The French king and all other lords gave
largely to this knight. Then heshewedhow
he must needs return again to Amurath-
baquin, for that was his promise at his de-
parting, for he stood but as prisoner, and
said how he had not returned but to do
this message frotn Amurath-baquin. The
king and other thought it but reasonable
that he should keep his promise. Then
the king and other wrote to these prisoners,
and it was concluded by council that the
French king should send a knight ofhonour
to Amnrath-baquin, lo the intent that he
might return ^ain lo bring new tidings, in
what case the prisoners were in. There
was appomled lo go in this voyage sir JiAn
of Chateau Moiant, who was a wise knight
and well languaged. Then it was de-
manded of sir Jaques what jewels or
presents the king might best send lo
Amurath-baquin and that should best
please him, to the intent that the prisoners
should be the better entreated. The
knight answered that Amurath-baquin took
great plea.sure in cloths of Arras made of
old ancient histories, and also, he said, he
had great delight in these while falcons
called gerfalcons ; also he said that line
450
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
linen cloths and fine scarlets were much
made of there, for of cloth of gold and
silk they had plenty. This pleased well
the French king and the duke of Bui^oyne,
whose minds were set to please Amurath-
baquin. Thus a twelve days sir Jaques
of Helly tarried at Paris, and every man was
glad to hear him report the adventures of
Turkey and of the manner of Amurath-
baquin.
When he depwurted to return, the king
said to him ; * Sir Jaques, take your way
and make but small journeys at your ease :
I think ye will return by Lombardy and
speak with the duke of Milan, for there is
gpreat amity between him and Amurath-
baquin : but which way soever ye go, we
will that sir John of Chateau Morant abide
in Hungary till ye have got him a safe-
conduct to go to Amurath-baquin with such
presents as we shall send him, to the in-
tent that he should be the more favourable
to the prisoners.* *Sir,* quoth he, *all
this shall be done.' So he deptarted and
took the same way he came. Anon after
his departure the king and the duke of
Burgoyne did prepare for these presents,
and sir John of Chateau Morant despatched
and had his charge. He had with him six
somers laden with presents, two of them
with cloths of Arras of the goodliest that
could be got, wrought with the story of
Alexander, of his life and conquests, right
pleasant to behold ; other two somers were
charged with fine scarlets, white and red ;
and also with much pain the king gat of
these white gerfalcons. Thus sir John of
Chateau Morant departed from Paris with
his presents and charge a fifteen dajrs after
that sir Jaques of Helly was departed.
In this mean season the king of Hungar)-
returned into his country, whereof all his
people were right joyfid, for they loved
him ; and so came and comforted him and
said : ' Sir, though ye have had damage at
this time, another time ye shall right well
recover it.' Thus the king bare his damage
as well as he might. On the other part,
Amurath-baquin returned into his country*
and came to a town called Bursa, and
thither were all the prisoners brought and
there set under sure keeping. They were
nothing there at their ease : the heat of
the country and diet sore changed them ;
for they hsul been used before to sweet and
delicate meats and drinks, and had thdr
own cooks and officers that did pcepore
their meats according to their di^ and
there in Turkey they were served all ooo-
trary, with gross meats, flesh evfl sodden
and dressed ; they had ^ices oioa^ and
bread made of millet, clean from thenataie
of France ; they had wine, and that was
with great danger.* Though they were all
great lords, they were bot smally regarded
there : the Turks had as lieve tbq^ W
been sack as whole and dead as alive;
they would they had been all pat to execa-
tion. So these prisoners comforted eadi
other within themselves, Ux thej saw none
other remedy : so some of them their
nature changed and fell into sickiKss ; he
that made the best cheer and coimtenaiice
was the earl of Nevers, and that he did to
comfort his companions ; also sir Baad-
quaut and the earl of Marche and sir Henry
of Bar were of good comfort and took every- \
thing patiently, saying that the boooins in
arms nor the glory of the world could not
be had without pain and sometinie with
meeting of hard adventures, for they said
that there was never so valiant and happy^
that had always everythir^ as they wished:
they said they were bound to tbank God
that he had saved their lives, considerii^
the displeasure that Amurath-baqmn and
his council were in for the loss <^ thor
men ; ' for it was once determined that
we should all generally have been pot to
death.' Then Boudquant said : ' I ought
above all other to thank God of my UJfe,
for I was at the point to have been hewen
all to pieces, as other of my company were;
but at the request of my lord here, the earl
of Nevers, I was saved. This adventure
call I good, and sith God hath deHvered us
from this peril, he will, an it please him,
deliver us from a greater ; for we be his
soldiers and for his sake we have this
pain. For by reason that sir Jaques of
Helly is gone into France, I trust within a
I year we shall have good comfcwt and be
i delivered : the matter cannot abide thus:
the French king and the duke of Burgoyne
will not forget us, but by some means ran-
i somed and delivered.*
Thus sir Bouciquaut recomforted himself
and took everything in good patience ; bat
the lord Coucy could take no comfort,
1 * With great di£Bicalty,* or * in great scardtj.'
El marvel, for befbie that 1
of great wisdom and of grei
nier was nbashed ; but being thus
in Bursa, in Tuckey, he was more
ted than any other and in more
melancholy, and said he was sure lie should
never return into France. Sir Henry of
Bar comforted him as much as he might
and blamed him of bis discomfort, saying
how he ought to give comfort to ail other.
Kowbeil, the same sir Heniy was sore
abashed in himself and oftentimes remem-
bered his wife and would weep pileoualy ;
and in like wise so did sir Philip of Artois,
L-atl of Eu and constable of France : sir
Guy of Tremouille was of good comfort
and so was the earl of Maiche. Amurath-
liaquin was content sometime that they
fthonld have some pastime, and sometime
he would go himself and see them and
jangle and bourd with them right graci-
ously, and would that they should see part
of lus estate and puissance. Now let us
leave somewhat to speak of them, and
speak of sir Jaques of Helly and sit John
of Chateau Morant, who were both riding
towards Hungary.
Sir Jaques of Helly tarried in the city of
Bude in Hungary about a ten or twelve
(lays, abiding for sir John of Chate
Morant ; and when he was come, sir Jaqu
was joyiiii, for he was desirous lo pi
forth itlto Turkey, to acquit him of his
faith and promise, and to sec the earl of
N'evers and the lords of Fi
comfort them. When the king of Hungary
aw ar John of Chateau Morant, he made
him good cheer for the love of the French
king, and he understood that the French
kmg had sent by him great presents and
jewels to Amurath-baquin, wherewith he
nas sore displeased in his mind, but he
(lissimHled the matter and kept it covert
till sir Jaques Helly was departed into
Turkey-ward ; but he said to such of his
privy council as he discovered the matter
unto, how that the miscreant dc^ his ad-
veisaiy Amurath'baquin should have no
presents out of France nor from no place
tlse, if it lay in his power lo let it. Sir
Jaques Helly was departed, and promised
ip get of Amurath-l:aquin a safe-conduct
lir sir John Morant lo pass into Turkey
and repass. So long he travelled with
I guides, that he came into Turkey
city of Bursa, but ns then Amurath-baquin
was in another city called Boll, and where-
soever he went the prisoners were carried
with him, except the lord Coucy, who
tarried still at Bursa, for he could not en-
dure to ride, he was so sick, and with him
tarried a cousin of his of Greece, a right
valiant baron descended of the lineage of
the dukes of Austrich, who was called
Metelin.' When sir Jaques was come to
Boli, Amurath-baquin was glad to see
him, because he was come out of France.
Then sir Jaques right humbly said to him :
'Right dear and redoubted sir, behold
here your prisoner : to the best of my
power I have done your message that ye
gave me in charge to do.' Then Amuiath-
baquin said : ' Thou art welcome, thon
hast trnly acquitted thyself, and therefore
I acquit thee of thy ransom and prison, so
that thou mayst go, return and tarry at
thy pleasure.' Whereof sir Jaques right
humbly thanked him. Then he shewed
how the French king and the duke of
Burgoyne had sent a knight of honour
embassade to him with credence, and had
brought with him certain presents of plea-
sure from the French kmg. Amurath-
baquin demanded what they were and if
he had seen them or not. The knight
answered : ' Sir, I have not seen them, but
the knight that hath the charge lo do the
message is at Bude in Hungary ; and, sir,
I am come before to shew you thereof and
to have a safe-conduct for the said knight
to come and to return safely." Then
Amurath-baquin said : ' We will that he
have one, as thou wiit devise ' : whereof the
knight thanked him. So they departed as
at that time. Another time sir Jaques
spake with Amurath-baquin and kneeled
down before him and humbly required that
he might see the lords and knights of
France, for he had divers things to say to
them out of their country. Amurath-
batiuin studied a little or he answered,
and at last said : ' Thou shalt speak with
one of them but with no more ' ; and so
sent for the earl of Ncvers alone : and
when he was come sir Helly kneeled down
to him.' The earl was glad lo see him
;Aiidro
called I
"lori^Me
^LeUn'
452
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
and demanded how the French king and
the duke his father and the duchess his
mother did. The knight shewed him all
that he knew and all that he was charged
to say to him ; howbeit, they had not so
good leisure to talk together as they would
have had, for Amuradi-baquin's men that
were there present bade them have done,
for they said they had other things to do
than to stand there and wait upon them.
Then sir Jaques demanded of the earl how
all the other lords of France did. The
earl said they were all in good case except
the lord of Coucy, who was somewhat
diseased and was at the city of Bursa.
Then sir Jaques shewed him how sir John
of Chateau Morant was come out of France
from the king and from the duke of Bur-
goyne in ambassade to Amurath-baquin ;
* and to assuage his ire he hath sent him
rich jewels and presents ; but he is at
Bude in Hungary with the king there, and
I am come before for a safe -conduct for
him to come and go, the which Amurath-
baquin hath granted, and I think I shall
return to him shortly.' Hereof the earl
was right joyous, but he durst make no
semblant for fear of the Turks, but said :
* Sir Jaques, I understand by you that ye
are quit of your ransom and prison and
that ye may return when it pleaseth you
into France. When ye come there, I pray
you shew the king and my father that we
all desire them to treat as shortly as may
be for our deliverance by some merchants
Genoways or Venetians, and agree at the
first word to that Amurath-baquin shall
desire for our ransom : for if they should
make long treaty with him, we shall be
lost for ever : for I understand Amurath-
baquin is true of his word, courteous and
short in all his matters, so he be taken at
the point.*
Thus the earl of Nevers and sir Jaques
departed. When the safe - conduct was
ready, it was delivered to sir Jaques. Then
he took his leave of Amurath-baquin and
of other of his court of his acquaintance,
and rode so long by his journeys that he
arrived at Bude in Hungary. Then he
drew to sir John Morant, who thought
long for him. Then sir Jaques said : * Sir,
I have brought you a safe -conduct to go
into Turkey, and all your company, and to
return again at your pleasure. ' * I am
glad thereof,' quoth the knight ; ' let us go
to the king of Hungary and shew hm
thereof, and then to-morrow betimes kt
us depart, for I have tarried here long
enough.' Then they both together went
to the king into his chamber and shewed
him all the matter. The king then an-
swered and said : ' Sir John Morant, and
ye, Helly, ye be welcome : ye shall go at
your pleasure for the love of my cousins of
France, to whom I would be glad to do
pleasure and to you also. Ye may go and
come through my realm at your pleasure,
and also into Turkey, if ye please ; but as
for your presents, that you, sir John, hare
brought out of France, I will not s^ree
that ye shall convey them to that hell-
hound Amurath-baquin ; he shall never be
enriched therewith : it should turn to our
great shame and rebuke, if he should make
his avaunt that because he hath had victory
on us and hath in danger and prison ca-
tain lords of France, that for fear thereof
there should be sent to him rich presentSi
As for the gerfalcons, I care not for, for
fowls fly lightly out of one country into
another, they are soon given and soon lost:
but as for rich hangings of Arras, are things
to be seen and to endure for ever. Where
fore, sir John Morant, if ye will pass into
Turkey with your gerfalcons, go when it
please you, but as for any other thing, ye
shall have none with you.'
Then the knight answered and said:
'Certainly, sir, it should not be mine
honour, nor pleasant to the French king
nor to the lords that have sent me hither,
without I might accomplish my voyage as
I have ill charge.* *Well,' quoth the
^iiigj * ye shall have none other way of me
at this time.' So the king went from them
and left the two knights speaking together.
They were sore troubled with the abusion
on the king of Hungary. Then they coun-
selled together what was best for them to
do : then they determined to send hasty
messengers to the French king and to the
duke of Burgoyne, sith they saw they could
have none other remedy. They wrote
letters to the king and to the duke of Bur-
goyne, that they should provide for the
matter : they sent their letters by post, to
make the more haste, and tarried still them-
selves at Bude with the king of Hungary
abiding the return of their messenger.
i:
^ T sped so well and made
diligence, that he came to Paris and
B (bund the king and the duke of Bur-
; and there sheweit his letters, and
fere read at lengih, with ihe which
rere nolhing pleased and had marvel
ic king of Hungary would not suffer
wesenis lopass thiough his country
Tutkiy. The duke of Beny excused
Sag of Hangup and said how he had
lo do as he did, ' for it is a thing
done for Ihe king lo send such
' an heathen king. The duke of
, because the matter touched him,
of the contrary opinion, and said it
.thing reasonable so lo do, silh that for-
had been so favourable lo him to have
iry in such a battle, and hath had
of Hungaryin chose,Bnd hath taken
I all such noblemen as were against
in that journey, ' wherefore the inends
^le prisoners may well End the means
mlort them for their deliverance.'
Inke's words were upholden with Ihe
tnd with divers of his council. Then
hlg demanded of his uncle of Berry
[t 'Fair uncle, if Amuralh.baquin,
odan or any other heathen king send
inby or a rich jewel, whether will ye
B it or not?' 'Sir,' quoth he, 'I
1 lake advice.' Then Ihe king said :
meth not yet ten year sith the soudan
fva a, ruby which cost twenty thousand
It' So the king of Hungary's deed
Hot sustained, but it was said that he
eril done lo slop the going of these
*"'" and that it should rather hinder
than advance them. Then
counselled to write to the
Hungary amiable letters, desiring
1 10 atop his knight, but suffer him
E into Turkey with his presents and
a. Then letters were written,
and delivered again lo the same
ger, and so he departed to return
mtAJiY. — TAe ducheii of Orleans
i^rmdaiilA causing /Ae iin^i ma/aify,
W aUih of Milan made this a came of
'1 wUh lAe French king. TTit news
oTHi
of tlic battle of Nicepeli Happed lAcm /ram
The duke ef Burgundy did all he
eeuld lo redeem his son and tAe utAer
prisontrs.
By the inJiueHa of Ihe grand master ef
Rhodes, sir Jcha de Ckaieau Marant and
sir Jaunts (U Helly loere allmued lo take the
French iin^s presents inle Turkey.
SUMMARY.^ The duke of Glaacesler
schemed against his nephew king Richard
cf England and stirred up the people
againsl kirn.
King Kichard by siihllety caused him le
be taken.
TAe lord of Ceucy died at Broussa and
Ike earl of F.ii at Ephesus. The earl of
Nevers and the rest ivete ransomed and
retiimed by RAedis and Venice la France.
CHAPTER CCXXI [CCXXV]
The earl of Nevers thus returned into
France ; he abode about the duke his father
and visited his lands and seignories. Then
he had desire to go to see the French king
and the duke of Orleans, who received
the ear! speak, and to hear of (he news of
Turkey and of all his adventures and of
he slate of Amurath-baguin. The earl
nswered wisely and comphiined nothing
of Amurath-baquin, but said he had found
him right courteous, and how that he was
well entreated; and he forgat not to shew
the king and the ladies how at his depart-
ing Amurath-baquin said to him that he
was bom in this world to do deeds of arms
and to conquer ever more and more, and
how that he would not command them
when they were prisoners that they should
no more bear arms against him, but said
he would rather have them come ^ain tbc .
454
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
second, third or fourth time, if need were,
if the deeds of arms so required ; and also
he said how his intent was to see Rome
and to make his horse eat oats upon Saint
Peter's altar ; and also he said how our
Christian faith was nothing worth, but
corrupted by the heads that ought to
govern them, whereat the Turks make but
a mock ; wherefore he said it should be
the destruction of Christendom and that
the time was as then come : and divers of
the Turks and Saracens said that their
king Amurath-baquin was born to be lord
of all the world ; and this they of Turkey,
of Tartary, of Perse, of Alexandre and of
other parts of the Saracens' lands said
they knew it well that it should be so, by
reason that the Christian men were abused
upon two popes, whereby the Christian
men were not all of one accord,^ but
differed, some believing on the one pope
and some upon the other ; and the Saracens
had great marvel how the heads of Christen-
dom in every realm would suffer it.
These words of the earl of Nevers made
the French king and other lords greatly to
muse, and some said how the Saracens had
good reason to laugh and mock at Christen-
dom, because they suffered the prelates of
the Church to meddle so much : therefore
some said it was time to abate their pomps
and to bring them to reason. The clerks
of the university of Paris, who travailed to
learn, could not come to any preferment of
any benefice by reason of the schism in the
Church and of the two popes ; wherefore
they would gladly that the people should
murmur against them, and were right glad
that the earl of Nevers said that the Turks
made a great derision thereof; and said
that, without the French king and the
king of Almaine found some remedy,
everything should be worse and worse :
and to say the truth, such as held them as
neuter they thought had taken the best
way, and so every man ought to do, if
they would bring the Church into good
case. Also it was secretly shewed the
French king by such as he loved and such
1 It should be : 'and by what he had seen and
heard, they knew in Turkey, in Tartary, in Persia,
in Alexandria, in Cairo and in all parts of the Sara-
cens* land, how the Christians erred through those
who wrote themselves popes, as well as they did in
France, and how the Christians were not all of one
accord,' etc.
as loved his health, how that it was the
common opinion in the realm of France
that he should never have perfectly his
health unto the time that the Church were
brought in another estate. And also they
shewed the king how that king Charles
his father, when he lay in his death-bed,
charged his council in conscience,^ and
had great doubt that he was sore abused in
those two popes. Then the French king
answered them and said : * When the king
my father died, I was but young, and I
have believed hitherto such as have coun-
selled me. If there be folly, it is in them
and not in me : but sith we be now thus
informed in the matter, we shall provide
for the remedy, and that shall be well
seen. '
The French king marked the matter
more profoundly than ever he did before,
and said to them of his council how he
would provide for the matter, and spake
thereof to his brother the duke of Orleans,
earl of Blois and of Valois, who agreed
anon to the king's will. In like wise so
did the duke of Burgo)aie ; for though he
obeyed pope Clement, yet he had never
firm belief on him, but the prelates of the
realm of France, and specially Guy of
Roye, archbishop of Rheims, the arch-
bishops of Sens and of Rouen, and the
bishop of Autun, they had brought the
duke to believe on pope Clement. Then
it was advised by the king's secret council,
that if they purposed to bring the Church
to rest and peace, to have the accord of
Almaine. Then was there sent suflScient
ambassadors and clerks of both laws, as
master Philip of Plaoul was one, into
Almaine to the king of Boeme and of
Almaine, who wrote himself king of the
Romans. This matter went so forward,
that a day was set that the king of Almaine
and his council and the French king and
his council should met personally at the
city of Rheims. This matter was done
secretly, because the prelates, cardinals,
archbishops and bishops should not break
their purpose that they were about. They
made it to be noised that the meeting of
these two kings and their councils at Rheims
was for none other purpose but to treat for
I * Had charged his council, and doubted that he
were deceived in the matter of these popes, and
held his conscience much charged by it.'
DEATH OF GUY DE BLO/Sy
^397
4-35
ge to be had between the son of
juis of Brandebourg, brother to the
Almaine, and the daughter of the
Orleans, and so by reason and
olour of that matter they would
e of other.
s same season died at Avesnes in
t the lord Guy of Chatillon, earl of
nd brought to Valenciennes and
at Saint Francis in the Friars
in a chapel called the chapel of
He had done much cost in the
of the said Friars, and when he
was so in debt,^ that the countess
Namur forsook all his goods and
t take on her the administration of
ment, but returned to her dowry of
of Chimay and of Beaumont, and
f heritages went to the heirs. The
Orleans had the county of Blois,
lad paid while the earl Guy lived
idred thousand crowns of France,
lands of Holland, Zealand and
t went to the duke Aubert of
earl of Hainault, and the land of
, of Landrecies and of Nouvion in
le, fell to John of Blois, called
Bretayne, and if the earl had not
county of Blois, the said John of
2 should have been his heir thereof,
r what a damage a lord or any
ly do to his heir by giving credence
ounsel. God forgive him.^
let us return to the business of
AFTER CCXXn [CCXXVI]
A/^ V. — T/ie duke of Gloucester was
Calais and put to deaths and the
Arundel was executed in London.
^ did ivhat he would in England^
e dared speak against him,
: it is that he was building a very fair and
lapel in the close of the said minor friars
by, where he thought to lie. And he died
n debt,* etc.
in the fuller text we read also an acknow-
by Froissart of the liberality with which
art of Blois had supported the expenses
torical work, and an excuse for the dis-
e transactions connected with the sale of
y of Blois, on the ground that he was
jy the counsel of others who wished him
inour nor profit.
CHAPTER CCXXIII [CCXXVIIJ
SUMMARY. —At the meeting of fke
emperor and the French king at Rheints,
it was resolved to send to both popes and
demand that they should resign and submit
to a neiv election.
CHAPTERS CCXXIV-CCXXVII
[CCXXVHI-CCXXXI]
SUMMAR Y.—The earl marshal in Eng-
land appealed the earl of Derby of treason^
and a combat was appointed to be between
them before the king. The king ivas
counselled not to allow the combat, and gave
sentence accordingly that both should^ be
banished. The earl of Derby went tnto
France and came to Paris, where he ivas
well received by the king and all others*
CHAPTER CCXXVIII [CCXXXlH
How the treaty that had been at Rlieitns
between the French king and the Icii^g ^
Almaine concerning the unity ^^- -iT r>
Church, was followed, and how the ^^^"^^^
of Cambray was sent by the said l^i^S
Rome and to Avignon to them that "^^^^y
themselves popes, to the intent that J'^
should depose themselves from their P^S.ese
ties and submit them to the order o*
two kings.
Ye have heard herebefore how the ^*? the
Almaine and the king of France ^fj ^g^j
lords of the Empire and their councils ^^^y
been at the city of Rheims, and ^^^/^iix ten-
had divers secret counsels ; and tbeir ^ ^^^^t
tion was to bring the Church into ^^^ the
unity; for to follow the way ^'^^g too
Church held as then, the error "*^ how
great. And also ye have ^^^^^t>ray,
master Peter d'Ailly, bishop of ^^ ^peak
was sent in legation to Rome ^o ^ jn
with pope Boniface. He sped ^^^^^g and
his journey that he came to ^^ Y.\rVL he
there found pope Boniface, and **^ i-^-ected
delivered his letters of credence ^^g^^ce.
from the kings of Almaine and o^ "bishop
The pope received them and tne ^^^ ^^
right meekly : the pope knew ^^^Jj^lared
his message. Then the bishop "
456
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
the cause of his coming. When the pope
had well heard him, he said how the
answer lay not all only in him, but also in
all the cardinals that had chosen him
pope ; but, he said, when he had spoken
with them by deliberate counsel, then he
would make such an answer that he trusted
to content them. This answer was sufficient
for that time. The bishop dined that day
in the pope's palace and certain cardinals
with him. Then after the pope departed
from Fondes and went to Rome, and there
the pope assembled a convocation of the
cardinals in his palace beside Saint Peter's
church. In this consistory there were none
but the pope and his cardinals, and there
the pope shewed the request that the king
of Almaine and the French king had made
him by the bishop of Cambray, and there
he demanded counsel what answer he
should make. There were then many
reasons alleged, for it seemed right con-
trary to the cardinals to put down that they
had made : they said it should be greatly
to their shame and rebuke. Then they
said to the pope : * Holy father, to cause
these kings to be in a good hope that ye
will obey to them, ye must somewhat dis-
simule the matter and say how ye will
gladly obey to all thing that the king of
Almaine, the king of Hungary and the
king of England will counsel you unto ; so
that he that is in Avignon, who writeth
himself pope Benedict, whom the French
king and the Frenchmen uphold in his
error, that he depose him of the name of
papality : and then, wheresoever it shall
please the said kings to appoint a conclave,
ye will be ready and all your brethren the
cardinals.' This counsel pleased well pope
Boniface. This was the special and general
answer that the bishop of Cambray had.
And when the Romans understood that
the kings of Almaine and of France had
sent to their pope their ambassade to have
him to leave his papality, anon there
multiplied great murmuration through the
city of Rome, and the Romans doubted
greatly to lose the pope's siege, which was
yearly to them a great profit ; for all
pardons that should be two year after, the
vantage thereof should grow to the city of
Rome, and against that pardon they had
made great provision, wherefore they
doubted lest it should have been lost,
which should greatly have been to their
prejudice.* Then the most notablest per-
sons in Rome assembled together and came
to the pope, and shewed him more sign of
love than ever they, had done before, and
said : * Holy father, ye are the true pope,
therefore lose not your heritage and patri-
mony of the Church, the which was Saint
Peter's : take never counsel to the contrary,
but abide still as pope, for whosoever be
against you, we shall abide with you and
jeopard our bodies and goods to defend yoo
in your right. * The pope answered and said :
* My well beloved children, be of good com-
fort, and be well assured that I will abide as '
pope, for any treaty of king or kings to the
contrary.' Thus the Romans were con-
tented and appeased and returned to their
houses. The pope's answer was always to
the bishop of Cambray, that when he per-
ceived clearly that Benedict deposed mm-
self, then he said he would be ordered by
the said kings.
So the bishop returned and came into
Almaine and found the king at Convalence,'
and there he shewed the answer that he
had at Rome. Then the king of Almaine
said : * Well, shew all this to our brother
and cousin the French king, and as he
ordereth himself, so shall I order me and
all the Empire ; but as far as I can see, he
must begin first, and when he hath put
down his pope, then we shall put down
ours. ' Then the bishop departed from the
king and rode till he came to Paris, where
he found the French king ; and there the
bishop shewed his answer, which was kept
secret till the king had assembled together
more number of noblemen and prelates of
his realm, by whom he would be coun-
selled, how he should proceed further.
1 The reference is no doubt to the expected pro-
fits of the jubilee in the year 1400, that is two years
after. It should be ' to lose the pope's see, whidi
was yearly to them a great pront, and also with
regard to the general pardons which should be io
two years to come,' etc. The general pardon for
all pilgrims in the jubilee year would attract large
numbers to Rome.
2 Coblentz.
AFFAIRS OF THE CHURCH, 139^
457
CHAPTER CCXXIX [CCXXXIII]
How the French king assembled the prelates
and other noblemen of his realm with the
university of Paris, to take counsel how they
should order pope Benedict at Avignon.
When the French king had heard the
answer of pope Boniface at Rome, and
how the king of Almaine in like wise
answered how that first pope Benedict
must be put down ; that done, then he
would midce a convocation of prelates and
noblemen of his realm and come to Paris. ^
There were certain prelates in France, as
the archbishop of Rheims, sir Guy of Roye,
and the archbishops of Rouen and Sens,
and the bishops of Paris, of Beauvois and
of Auxerre, they had sore sustained the
opinions of pope Benedict at Avignon, and
specially of Clement, because he was
advanced by their means : ^ these six pre-
lates were nut called to the king in this
council, but other prelates and the uni-
versity of Paris. And when the bishop of
Cambray had shewed before them all how
be had sped at Rome, and the answer that
pope Boniface and his cardinals had made
him, and the answer of the king of Almaine,
then they entered into council, and it was
agreed that the university should have the
greatest voice.' Then it was determined
by the university* that the king should
send sir Bouciquaut his marshal into the
parts of Avignon, and to do so much by
treaty or otherwise, that Benedict should
leave his papality and to ordain himself in
all points by the king and his council, and
that the Church in all the limitations in the
realm of France should be as neuter, till
the Church were brought into perfect unity ;
and that done, then everything to return to
the true right.
This counsel was thought good and was
accepted of the king and all other. Then
the marshal of France and the bishop of
1 Badly translated. It should be : ' When the
French king had heard the answer of pope Boniface
and how the king of Almaine had said also that
first ^ope Benedict must submit, he made a con-
vocation of the noblest prelates of his realm, and
they came all to Paris.'
3 ' Because he had advanced and benefited them.'
3 ' And my opinion is that the university had the
greatest voice.
* The words ' by the university ' arc inserted by
the translator.
Cambray were ordained to go to Avignon.
They departed from Paris and rode till they
came to Lyons on the river of Rhone ; and
there they two departed asunder, for it was
ordained that the marshal should tarry there
still till he heard tidings from the bishop,
who rode forth and so came to Avignon.
There were some of the cardinals that
knew well wherefore he came, but they
dissimuled the matter to know what pope
Benedict would say. When the bishop of
Cambray had refreshed him at his lodging
and had changed his apparel, then he went
to the pope's palace ; and when he came
in the pope's presence, he made his rever-
ence, but not in such wise as he ought to
have done, if he had taken him as pope, as
other men did ; and yet he made him bishop
of Cambray, but that promotion he had by
the means of the lords of France. Then the
bishop of Cambray, who was well languaged
both in Latin and in French, spake and
shewed how he was sent thither from the
French king and from the king of Almaine,
and so began his process ; and when the
bishop came to the utterance of the matter,
how the pope should resign and depose
himself from the papal dignity, and that he
that was at Rome should do likewise, with
these words the pope began to change
colour, and lift up his voice and said : * I
have endured great pain and travail for the
Church, and by good election I was created
pope, and now to depose myself, that I
shall never do during my life ; and I will
that the French king know that, for all his
ordinance, I will do nothing thereafter, but
I will keep my name and papality till I die. '
* Sir,' quoth the bishop of Cambray, * saving
your grace, I took you for more pnident
than I now find you : first demand counsel
of your brethren the cardinals and then
make answer ; for you alone cannot make
no resistance against them, if they agree to
this opinion, nor ye are not able to resist
the puissance of the kings of France and
Almaine.' Then two cardinals that were
there, such as the pope had made before,
they perceiving the matter not likely to do
well, rose and said to the pope : * Holy
father, the bishop of Cambray speaketh
well. Sir, we desire you to do herein after
his counsel.' 'Well,' quoth the pope, *I
am content.' So they departed for that
time, and the bishop went to his lodging,
45^
THE ClTROmCLMS OP FROISSART
and went not to see any cardinals but dis-
simuled himself.
The next day betimes the bell sowned
to the consistory, and then there was a
convocation of all the cardinals that were
at Avignon : they all assembled at the
palace and entered into the consistory, and
thither was called the bishop of Cambray,
who in Latin shewed at length his message
and the cause of his coming thither. When
he had said, then he was answered how the
pope should take counsel to answer, and
in the mean time he to depart out of the
house, and so he did. And in the mean
season Benedict and his cardinals coun-
selled together and were long debating of
the matter, and many thought it hard and
a contrary matter to put down that they
had created. Then the cardinal of Amiens
spake and said : * Lords, whether we will
or not, it must behove us to obey the
French king and the king of Almaine, sith
they be conjoined together, for without
them we cannot live. Howbeit, we should
do well enough with the king of Almaine,
if the French king would take our part :
but it is otherwise, for he commandeth us
to obey or else he will stop from us the
fruits of our benefices, without the which
we cannot live. True it is, holy father,
that we have created you as pope on the
condition that to your power ye should aid
to reform the Church and to bring it into
perfect union, and this ye have always said
and maintained. Therefore, sir, answer
attemperately and in such manner as we
may praise you ; for, sir, ye ought better
to know your own courage than we.'
Then divers other of the cardinals said :
* Sir, the cardinal of Amiens sayeth well
and wisely ; wherefore, sir, we pray you
all in general that ye will speak and shew
us what ye will do.' Then Benedict
answered and said : * The union of the
Church I desire, and I have taken great
pain therein ; but sith God of his divine
grace hath provided for me the papality,
and that ye have chosen me thereto, as
long as I live I will be pope, and I will not
depose myself nother for king, duke, earl
nor other treaty, nor by no process nor
means, but that I will abide pope.' Then
the cardinals rose up all together with
great murmuring ; some said he had spoken
well and some said contrary. Thus they
differed and were in discord ; the most part
departed out of the consistory and took no
leave of the pope and returned to their
lodgings ; some, such as were in this pope's
favour, tarried still with him.
When the bishop of Cambray saw how
they departed in such manner, he knew
well they accorded not well, and therewith
advanced himself and entered into the con-
sistory, and so came to the pope while he
sat still in his see, and without doing of
any great reverence said : * Sir, give me
mine answer : sith ye have had your coun-
cil about you, ye ought to give me mine
answer, that I may return.* This pope
Benedict, who was in great displeasure for
the words that the cardinal of Amiens had
spoken, said : * Bishop of Cambray, I have
counsel of divers of my brethren the car-
dinals^ who hath created me into the
dignity papal, and have received all the
solemnities thereto belonging, and am
written and named pope by all my sub-
jects, and as pope I will abide as long as
I live. I will not do the contrary, to die
in the pain ; ^ for I have done no cause
why to lose it. And say to our son of
France that hither-unto I have taken him
as a good catholic prince, but now by
sinister means if he will enter into great
error, he will repent it. I pray you to say
to him from me, that he be well advised
how he inclineth to anything that should
trouble his conscience.' Therewith this
Benedict rose out of his chair and went into
his chamber, and certain cardinals with
him ; and the bishop Cambray returned to
his lodging and dined soberly, and then
after took his horse and passed the bridge
of Rhone and came to Villeneuve, and
at night lay at Bagnols, which pertained
to the realm of France ; and he understood
that sir Bouciquaut, marshal of France,
was come to Bourg Saint -Andrew, a nine
leagues from Avignon. The next day
thither came the bishop of Cambray and
shewed him the answer of Benedict.
When the marshal understood that this
pope Benedict would not obey the king his
master's ordinance, he said to the bishop :
' Sir, ye are best to return into France, ye
have no more to do here, and I shall exe-
cute that I am commanded to do by the
king and his uncles. ' The next day the
1 That is, ♦ if I should die for it.'
THE POPE BESIEGED AT AVIGNON
459
bishop departed and took the way to
A.ubenas and to Puy, and the marshal
set clerks awork to write, and sent for
knights, squires and men of war through
all the country of Velay, of Viviers and
Ajivergne, to Montpellier, for he had com-
mission so to do by the king ; and also he
sent to the seneschal of Beaucaire, that he
should close all the passages, as well by
the river of Rhone as by land, to the intent
that nothing should enter into Avignon.
He went himself to the Pont Saint -Esprit
and closed there the passage over the river
of Rhone, that nothing should enter that
way into Avignon. Thus the marshal daily
gathered men of war, and many came to
serve him, some for obeisance and some to
pill and rob them of Avignon. There
came to him sir Raymond of Touraine and
the lord de la Voulte, the lord of Tournon,
the lord of Montclau and the lord d'Uzes,
so that the marshal had a great number of
men. Then the marshal sent an herald to
defy pope Benedict in his palace, and all
the cardinals that would take his part.
This was hard tidings to the cardinals and to
them in the city of Avignon, for they knew
well they could not long sustain the war
against the puissance of the French king.
Then they determined to go and speak
with the pope, and so they did, and shewed
him how they could not nor would not sus-
tain the war against the French king ; for,
they said, they must live and have their mer-
chandise to go as well by land as by river.
This Benedict answered foolishly^ and
said : * Sirs, your city is strong and well
provided : I will send for men of war from
Genes and into other places, and to my
son the king of Aragon, that he come and
serve me, which I am sure he will do, for
he is bound thereto for two causes, he is of
my lineage and also he ought to be obeisant
to the pope. Sirs, ye are abashed of too
little a cause : go your ways and keep and
defend your town and I shall keep my
palace.' Other answer the cardinals and
men of the city could not have of this Bene-
dict ; so every man returned home. This
Benedict had of long time purveyed his
palace with wine, corn, lard, oil, and of
all other things pertaining to a fortress, and
also he was of his person high and cruel
and would not be abashed for a little thing.
1 The true reading is * fellement,' * angrily.'
The marshal of France departed from
Pont Saint- Esprit and passed with all his
company by tjfie town of Orange, and so
entered into the country of Venese,^ which
was land pertaining to the Church, the
which anon was overrun. And the men of
war passed at the bridge of Sorgues, and
so they were lords of all the river, and the
marshal tarried in the town of Sorgues with
a great number of men of war to keep the
town and passage, and also the garrison of
Noves, which pertained to the pope.^
Then the marshal went and lodged at
Saint -Verain near to Avignon, and his
men thereabout ; and daily came thither
men of war, so that the city of Avignon
was closed in before and behind by land
and by the river, so that nothing could
enter nor issue without leave. For at
Villeneuve without Avignon, which per-
tained to the realm of France, was the
seneschal of Beaucaire with five hundred
men and kept the entry on that side, and
the marshal of France with two thousand
men was on the other side of Avignon ;
and he sent to them of the city that, with-
out they would obey and open their city,
that he would burn all their vines and
houses abroad in the country about to the
river of Durance. That summoning greatly
abashed the men and women within the
city, for their heritages lay without Avig-
non unto the river of Durance. Then they
went to council without knowledge of the
pope, and they called to their council
certain cardinals, as the cardinal of Amiens,
of Poitiers, of Neufchatel, of Viviers and
divers other. Then such as had most to
lose shewed these cardinals how the mar-
shal of France had threatened them to
bren their vines and their houses, and all
this had caused the French king, against
whom they could not resist, for his puis-
sance was so near them : and all things
considered, they said they were better to
obey to the French king than to hold their
perilous opinions, for of Benedict they
could have no aid nor comfort ; and they
demanded of these cardinals if they would
join and take their part. The cardinals
said they were content to take their ways,
1 That is, the Venaissin.
2 * And the marshal left a great number of men of
arms at Sorgues to guard the passage, and for the
garrison of Noves, which held for the pope.*
462
THE CHRONICLES OF FIWISSART
And when the Londoners knew the
cause of that assembly and the request
that the king had made, they were then
sore troubled against the king (for the
people of England were so firmly set on
the believing on the pope at Rome, that
they would not leave it), and said how
Richard of Bordeaux would destroy them
all, if he be let alone : * his heart is so
French that he cannot hide it ; but a day
will come to pay for all, that he shall re-
pent him and all such as give him such
counsel. * Whatsoever the king said to have
his people neuter, they would in no wise
agree thereto. And the French king was
not well content with his son king Richard,
in that he had not incontinent caused his
realm to have been neuter : but to say the
truth, the king was not to blame therein ;
and also such accidents fell soon after, the
which were so great and horrible, that the
like hath not been seen in all this history
upon no king Christian except of noble
king Peter of Lusignan, king of Cypre
and Jerusalem, whom his own brother and
the Cyprians martyred.^
CHAPTERS CCXXX-CCXXXII
[CCXXXIV-CCXXXVI]
SUMMARY, — The duke of Lancaster
wrote advising the earl of Derby not to go to
Hungary^ and shortly after this he fell sick
and died. King Richard rejoiced at his
death, and took such part of his lands as
pleased him. Then hearing of a treaty of
marriage between the earl of I)erby and the
duke of Berry's daughter^ he sent into
France and hindered it, accusing the earl
of Derby of treason.
CHAPTERS CCXXXin-CCXXXV
[CCXXXVII-CCXXXIX]
SUMMARY. —King Richard went to
Bristol^ intending to pass aver into Ireland.
The kingdom was in a very unquiet state,
and the Londofiers especially murmured
against the king. At length they sent the
archbishop of Canterbury to speak with the
earl of Derby. The earl of Derby accepted
the proposal which was made to him, and
1 The better reading is ' murdrirent,' 'murdered.'
having taken leave of the French king, he
went to get aid from the duke of Brittany.
CHAPTERS CCXXXVI, CCXXXVII
[CCXL, CCXLI]
SUMMARY.— The earl of Derby sailed
from Vannes and arrived at Plymouth}
Thence he rode to London and was well
received. From London he set forth with
an army to Bristol, and was joined by
many.
The king, when he heard of this, left
Bristol and came to Flint castle.
CHAPTER CCXXXVIII [CCXLI]
How king Richard yielded himself to the
earl of Derby to go to London.
The earl of Derby and the Londoners had
their spies going and coming, who reported
to them all the state of the king, and also
the earl knew it by such knights and squires
as daily came from the king's part to the
earl, who had sure knowledge that the
king was gone to the castle of Flint, and
had no company with him but such as were
of his own household, and seemed that he
would no war, but to scape that danger by
treaty. Then the earl determined to ride
thither and to do so much to have the king
either by force or by treaty. Then the
earl and all his company rode thither, and
within two mile of the castle they found a
great village. There the earl tarried and
drank, and determined in himself to ride
to the castle of Flint with two hundred
horse and to leave the rest of his company
1 The account of these events is full of inac-
curacies. Henry landed, as is well known, at
Ravenspum (22nd July), and marched to Bristol
without going to London. Thence he went by
Ludlow to Chester (gth Aug.), and so to Flint.
Meanwhile Richard had returned from Ireland and
arrived at Milford in the last days of July. Hear-
ing that Henry was at Bristol, he sailed to North
Wales, disembarked at Harlech and reached Con-
way castle by land. Here he was met by the earl
of Northumberland, and trusting to his oath of
fidelity came to Flint, and was betrayed into the
hands of Henry (i8th Aug.) Froissart seems to
know nothing of the expedition to Ireland or of
the treachery of Northumberland, and apparently
thinks that Flint castle was in die hands of Kichaurd
(Lettenhove, xvi. 326 ff.)
RICHARD II. AT FLINT CASTLE
463
still there : and he said he would do what
he could by fair treaty to enter into the
castle by love and not perforce, and to
bring out the king with fair words and to
assure him from all peril except going to
London, and to promise him that he shall
have no hurt of his body, and to be mean
for him to the Londoners, who were not
content with him. The earl's device
seemed good to them that heard it, and
they said to him : * Sir, beware of dissimu-
lation : this Richard of Bordeaux must be
taken other quick or dead, and all the
other traitors that be about him and of his
council, and so to be brought to London
and set in the Tower ; the Londoners will
not suffer you to do the contrary. ' Then
the earl said : * Sirs, fear not but all that
is enterprised shall be accomplished : but
if I can get him out of the castle with fair
words, I will do it ; and if I cannot, I shall
send you word thereof and then ye shall
come and lay siege about the castle, and
then we will do so much by force or by
assault, that we will have him quick or
dead, for the castle is well pregnable.* To
those words accorded well the Londoners :
so the earl departed from the army and
rode with two hundred men to the castle,
whereas the king was among his men right
sore abashed.
The earl came riding to the castle gate,
which was fast closed, as the case required.
The earl knocked at the gate : the porters
demanded who was there. The earl an-
swered : * I am Henry of Lancaster : I
come to the king to demand mine heritage
of the duchy of Lancaster : shew the king
this from me.' * Sir,' quoth they within,
'we shall do it.* Incontinent they went
into the hall and into the donjon whereas
the king was, and such knights about him
as had long time counselled him. Then
these news were shewed to the king, and
said : * Sir, your cousin of Derby is at the
gate, who demandeth of you to be set in
possession of the duchy of Lancaster his
inheritance.* The king then regarded such
as were about him and demanded what
was best to do. They said : * Sir, in this
request is none evil : ye may let him come
in to you with twelve persons in his com-
pany and hear what he will say : he is
your cousin and a great lord of the realm ;
he may well make your peace an he will,
for he is greatly beloved in the realm,
and specially with the Londoners, who
sent for him into France : they be as now
the chief that be against you. Sir, ye
must dissimule till the matter be ap-
peased and till the earl of Huntingdon
your brother be with you ; and it cometh
now evil to pass for you that he is at
Calais, for there be many now in England
that be risen against you, that an they
knew that your brother were about you,
they would sit still and durst not displease
you : and yet he hath to his wife the earl
of Derby's sister ; by his means we suppose
ye should come to peace and concord.'
The king agreed to those words and said :
* Go and let him come in with twelve with
him and no more.* Two knights went
down to the gate, and opened the wicket
and issued out and made reverence to the
earl and received him with gracious words,
for they knew well that they had no force
to resist them, and also they knew well the
Londoners were sore displeased with them :
therefore they spake fair and said to the
earl : * Sir, what is your pleasure ? The
king is at mass : he hath sent us hither to
speak with you.* *I say,' quoth the earl,
* ye know well I ought to have possession
of the duchy of Lancaster : I am come in
part for that cause and also for other things
that I would speak with the king of.' ' Sir,*
quoth they, * ye be welcome : the king
would be glad to see you and to hear you,
and hath commanded that ye come to him
all only with twelve persons.' The earl
answered : * It please th me well.* So he
entered into the castle with twelve persons,
and then the gate closed again and the rest
of his company tarried without.
Now consider what danger the earl of
Derby was in ; for the king then might
have slain him and such as were with him,
as easily as a bird in a cage : but he feared
not the matter, but boldly went to the
king, who changed colours when he saw
the earl. Then the earl spake aloud with-
out making of any great honour or rever-
ence and said : * Sir, are ye fasting ? *
The king answered and said : * Yea : why
ask you ? * * It is time, ' quoth the earl,
*that ye had dined, for ye have a great
journey to ride.* *Why, whither should
I ride ? * quoth the king. * Ye must ride
to London,* quoth the earl; 'wherefore I
464
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
counsel you eat and drink, that ye may
ride with the more mirth.' Then the king,
who was sore troubled in his mind and in
a manner afraid of those words, said : * I
am not hungry: I have no lust to eat.'
Then such as were by, who were as then
glad to flatter the earl of Derby, for they
saw well the matter was like to go diversely,
said to the king : * Sir, believe your cousin
of Lancaster, for he will nothing but good. '
Then the king said : ' Well, I am content :
cover the tables.* Then the king washed
and sat down and was served. Then the
earl was demanded if he would sit down.
He said, no, for he was not fasting.
In the mean season, while the king sat
at dinner, who did eat but little, his heart
was so full that he had no lust to eat, all
the country about the castle was full of
men of war. They within the castle might
see them out at the windows, and the king,
when he rose from the table, might see
them himself Then he demanded of his
cousin what men they were, that appeared
so many in the fields. The earl answered
and said : * The most part of them be
Londoners.' *What would they have?'
quoth the king. *They will have you,'
quoth the earl, * and bring you to London
and put you into the Tower. There is
none other remedy, ye can scape none
otherwise.* *No?' quoth the king, and
he was sore afraid of those words, for he
knew well the Londoners loved him not,
and said : ' Cousin, can you not provide
for my surety? I will not gladly put me
into their hands, for I know well they hate
me and have done long, though I be their
king.' Then the earl said : * Sir, I see
none other remedy, but to yield yourself
as my prisoner ; and when they know that
ye be my prisoner, they will do you no
hurt : but ye must so ordain you and your
company, to ride to London with me and
to be as my prisoner in the Tower of Lon-
don.' The king, who saw himself in a
hard case, all his spirits were sore abashed,
as he that doubted greatly that the Lon-
doners would slay him. Then he yielded
himself prisoner to the earl of Derby, and
bound himself and promised to do all that
he would have him to do. In like wise all
other knights, squires and officers yielded
to the earl, to eschew the danger and peril
that they were in ; and the earl then re-
ceived them as his prisoners and ordained
incontinent horses to be saddled and
brought forth into the court and the gates
opened. Then many men of arms and
archers entered : then the earl of Derby
caused a cry to be made, on pain of death
no man to be so hardy to take away any-
thing within the castle, nor to lay any hands
upon any person, for all were under the
earl's safe-guard and protection : which cry
was kept, no man durst break it. The
earl had the king down into the court
talking together, and caused all the king's
whole household and estate to go forward,
as of custom they had done before, without
changing or minishing of anything. While
everything was a preparing, the king and
the earl communed together in the court
and were well regarded by the Londoners.
And as it was informed me, king Richard
had a greyhound called Math,^ who always
waited upon the king and would know no
man else ; for whensoever the king did
ride, he that kept the greyhound did let
him loose and he would straight run to the
king and fawn upon him and leap with his
fore feet upon the king's shoulders. And
as the king and the earl of Derby talked
together in the coiurt, the greyhound, who
was wont to leap upon the king, left the
king and came to the earl of Derby, duke
of Lancaster, and made to him the same
friendly countenance and cheer as he was
wont to do to the king. The duke, who
knew not the greyhound, demanded of
the king what the greyhound would do.
* Cousin,' quoth the king, * it is a great
good token to you and an evil sign to me.'
*Sir, how know you that?' quoth the
duke. * I know it well,' quoth the king,
* the greyhound maketh you cheer this day
as king of England, as ye shall be, and I
shall be deposed. The greyhound hath
this knowledge naturally : therefore take
him to you ; he will follow you and forsake
me.' The duke understood well those
words and cherished the greyhound, who
would never after follow king Richard, but
followed the duke of Lancaster.
So every man leapt a-horseback and de-
parted from the castle of Flint and entered
into the fields. Thus duke Henry of
1 Or according to another text 'Blemach.' A
similar story to this was told about Charles of Bids
and the earl of Montfort.
THE KING BROUGHT TO LONDON
465
I Lancaster, who was no more called earl
of Derby but duke of Lancaster, rode by
the king, and oftentimes talked together,
and men of war before and behind in great
number, and all such as were of the king's
court rode together in a company. That
n%ht they lay about Oxenford. The duke
of Lancaster led king Richard by no castles
nor good towns, for fear of stirring of the
people, but always kept the fields. Then
the duke gave licence to a great number of
his people to depart, and said : * Sirs, ye
may depart, for we have that we desire :
the king cannot fly nor scape from us ; we
and our own company shall bring him to
London and put him in safe-guard in the
Tower : he and all his are my prisoners, I
may bring them whither I will. Therefore,
sirs, go your ways home, till ye hear other
flews.* They did as the duke commanded
them, who took the way to Windsor and
Came thither ; and most part of the Lon-
doners returned to London, and other to
their own places. The duke of Lancaster
departed from Windsor and would not ride
by Colebrook, but took the way by Staines
and so came to dinner to Chertsey. The
king had desired the duke that he should
not bring him London way nor through
the city, and therefore they took that way.
As soon as they had the king thus in
their hands, they sent notable persons to
the young queen, who was at Leeds in
Kent, and they came to the lady Courcy,
who was second person there next to the
queen, and said to her : * Madam, make
you ready, for ye must depart hence : and
at your departing make no semblant of
displeasure before the queen, but say how
your husband hath sent for you and for
your daughter also. This that we say, look
that you do accomplish on pain of your
life, nor axe ye no questions no further,
and ye shall be conveyed to Dover and
there have a ship that shall bring you to
Boulogne.' The lady, who doubted those
words, for she knew well Englishmen were
cruel and hasty, said : * Sirs, as God will, I
am ready to do as ye will have me.' Anon
she made her ready, and horses were pro-
vided for her and for her company. So all
French men and women departed, and
they were conveyed to Dover, and at the
next tide they took shipping and had good
wind and so arrived at Boulogne.
3 H
CHAPTER CCXXXIX [CCXLII]
Of the state of queen Isabel of England, and
how she had all new persons appointed to
wait upon her, and how king Richard was
set in the Tower of London.
As for the state of the queen, was so turned
and broken ; for there was left nother
man, woman nor child of the nation of
France, nor yet of England, such as were
in any favour with the king.^ Her house
was newly furnished with ladies and damo-
sels and other officers and servants : they
were charged all that in no wise they should
not speak of the king, not one to another.
Thus the duke of Lancaster departed
from Chertsey and rode to Sheen, and
from thence in the night- time they con-
veyed the king to the Tower of London,
and such other knights and squires as the
king would. The next morning when the
Londoners knew that the king was in the
Tower, they were greatly rejoiced : but
there was great murmuring among them,
because the king was conveyed thither so
secretly ; they were angry that the duke
had not brought him through London
openly, not to have done him honour but
shame, they hated him so sore. Behold
the opinion of common people, when they
be up against their prince or lord, and
specially in England. Among them there
is no remedy, for they are the periloust
people of the world and most outrageoust,
if they be up, and specially the Londoners :
and indeed they be rich and of a great
number ; there was well in London a
twenty-four thousand men in harness com-
plete and a thirty thousand archers, and
they were hardy and high of courage, the
more blood they saw shed the less they
were abashed.
Now let us somewhat speak of the earl
of Rutland, constable of England, son to
the duke of York, who was tarried at
Bristow and the lord Spenser with him,
who had his sister to wife. When they
knew that the castle of Flint was given up
1 * As for the state of the young queen, it was
so broken, that they left with her neither man,
woman nor child. All those of the nation of
France were put away and also many of the £ng'
Hsh who were in the king's favour'
466
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
and the king taken and brought to London,
then they thought surely the matters went
not well for the king. Therefore they
thought no longer to tarry there, and gave
leave to all their men of war to depart ;
and the earl of Rutland and the lord
Spenser rode together with their own
servants to Henley in the marches of
Wales, a fair manor of the lord Spenser's,
and there they tarried till they heard other
tidings. And the duke of York lay still in
his castle and meddled with nothing of the
business of England : no more he did
before; he took ever the time aworth as
it came : howbeit, he was sore displeased
in his mind to see such difference within
the realm and between his nephews and
blood.
Now let us return to speak of king
Richard. When the duke of Lancaster
had set his cousin king Richard in the
Tower of London and certain of his coun-
cillors, and had set sure keeping on them,
the first thing then that the duke did, he
sent for the earl of Warwick, who was
banished and commanded to lie in the
isle of Wight, and discharged him clean
thereof : and secondly the duke of Lancas-
ter sent to the earl of Northumberland and
to the lord Percy his son, that they should
come to him, and so they did. After he
enquired and sought out to have the four
companions who had strangled his uncle
the duke of Gloucester in the castle of
Calais : they were so well sought out, that
they were all taken : they were set in
prison apart in London. Then the duke
of Lancaster and his council took advice
what should be done with king Richard,
being in the Tower of I^ondon, whereas
king John of France was kept, while king
Edward went into the realm of France.
Then it was thought that king Richard
should be put from all his royalty and joy
that he hath lived in ; for they said the
news of his taking should spread abroad
into all realms christened : he had been
king twenty-two year : and as then they
determined to keep him in prison.^ Then
1 The meaning of the true text is rather the
opposite, but the exact rendering is not quite
certain. The sense is : 'It was agreed by all that
they ought to give this king Richard all indul-
gence, if he would use it well and duly, for there
would be great talk of his taking in all Christian
realms, since they had had him as king for two and
they regarded what case the realm stood in
and did put all his deeds in articles to the
number of twenty-eight. Then the duke
of Lancaster and his council went to the
Tower of London and entered into the
chamber where king Richard was, and
without any reverence making to him there
was openly read all the said articles; to
the which the king made none answer, for
he saw well all was true that was laid to
his charge, saving he said : * All that I
have done passed by my council.* Then
he was demanded what they were that had
given counsel and by whom he was most
ruled. He named them, in trust thereby
to have been delivered himself in accusing
of them, as he had done beforetime, trusting
thereby to scape and to bring them in the
danger and pain ; but that was not the mind
of them that loved him not. So as at that
time they spake no more, but departed ; and
the duke of Lancaster went to his lodging
and suffered the mayor and the men of law
to proceed. They went to the Guildhall,
whereas all the matters of the city were
determined, and then much people as-
sembled there. When they saw the
governours of the city go thither, they
thought some justice should be done, as
there was indeed : I shall shew you how.
First, the articles that were made against
the king, the which had been read before
him in the Tower, were read again there
openly : and it was shewed by him that
read them, how the king himself denied
none of them, but confessed that he did
them by the counsel of four knights of his
chamber, and how by their counsel he had
put to death the duke of Gloucester and
the earl of Arundel, sir Thomas Corbet
and other, and how they had long incited
the king to do those deeds ; which deeds,
they said, were not to be forgiven, but
demanded punition, for by them and their
counsel the justice of right was closed up
through all the courts of England, West-
minster and other, whereby many evil
deeds followed, and companies and routs
of thieves and murderers rose and as-
twenty years ; and afterwards they wished to keep
him prisoner (<7r degrade him) at all points.' The
true reading is no doubt *royes' for *joyes' in the
phrase *il convenoit k ce roy Richard donner
toutes ses royes.' The text used by the translator
gives 'dompter toutes ses joies,' 'stop all bis
pleasures.'
RICHARD jr. IN THE TOtVER
467
ssmbled logelher in tiivets pHrls of the
realm, and robbed merchants by the ways
and poor men in their houses : by which
mean!) the realm vjas in great peiU tu have
been lost without recovery : and jl is to
be imagined that finally they would have
rendered Calais or Guines or both into Che
Frenchmen's hands. These words thus
shewed to the people made many to he
abashed, and many began to murmur and
said ; ' These causes demand punition, that
nil other may lake eiisample thereby, and
Richard of Bordeaux to be deposed : for
he is not worthy to bear a crown, but
ought to be deprived imta all honour and
to be kept all his life in prison with bread
and water.' Though some of the villains
murmured, other said on high ; ' Sir mayor
of London and ye other that have justice
in your hands to minister, execute justice :
for we will ye spare no man, (or ye see
well the case that ye Imve shewed us
demandeth justice incontinent ; Sat they
are judges upon their own deeds.' Then
the mayor and other of the goveraours of
the law went l<^ether into the chamber of
judgment. Then these four knights were
judged to die, and were judged to be bad
to the foot of the Tower, whereas king
Ricbud was, that he might see them
. along by the dike with horses each
.set upon London bridge, and their bodies
drawn to the gibbet and there hanged.
This judgment given, they were delivered
to eiecuticin ; for the mayor of London
and such as were deputed to the matter
went from the Guildhall 10 the Tower and
took out the four knights of the king's,
whose names were called sir Bernard
Brocas, sir Magelars, master John Derby,
receiver of Lincoln, and master Sely, the
king's steward. Each of them were tied to
two horses in the presence of them that
'i the Tower, and the king might
wells<
t thew
;with
imforled, for all other that
were there with the king looked to he in
the same ca>ie, they knew them of London
so cruel. Thus these fonr knights were
drawn one after another along through the
city tilt Ihey came into Cheap, and there
on a fisher's stall their heads were stricken
olTand set upon Loiidoo bridge, and their
bodies drawn by the shoulders 10 the
gibbet and there hanged up.
This justice thus done, every man went
to their lodgings. King Richard, knowing
himself taken and in the danger of the
Ixindoners, was in great sorrow in his heart
and reckoned his puissance nothing ; for
he saw how every man was against him,
and if there were any that ought him any
fevour, it lay not in their powers to do
him any aid, nor they durst not shew it.
.Such as were with the king said ; ' Sir, we
have but small trust in our lives, as il may
well appear ; for when yout cousin of
Lnncasler came to the castle of Flint and
with yout own good will ye yielded you to
him, and he promised that you and twelve
of yours should be his prisoners and have
no hurt, and now of those twelve lour be
executed shamefully, [andj we are like to
pass the same way. The cause is, these
Londoners, who hath caused the duke
of Lancaster your cousin to do this deed,
had him so sore bound to them, that he
must do as they will have him. God doth
much for us if he suffer that we might die
here our natuml death and not a shameful
death; it is great pity to think on this.'
With those words king Richard began
tenderly to weep and wnng his bands, and
cursed the hour that ever he was bom,
rather than to have such an end. Such as
were about him had great pity and re-
comforted him as w^l as they might.
One of his knights said : ' Sir, it behoveth
you to take comfort. We see well, and bo
do you, that this world is nothing : the
fortunes thereof are marvellous and some-
time turn as well upon kings and princes
HS upon poor men. The French king,
whose daughter ye have married, cannot
now aid you ; he is too far off. If ye
might scape this mischief by dissimula-
tion and save your life and ours, it were a
good enterprise : peradvenlure within a year
or two there would be had some recovery.'
'Why,' quoth the king, 'what would ye
that I should do? There is nothing but I
would be glad to do it to save us thereby.'
' Sir,' quoth the krught, ' we see for truth
that these Londoners will crown yonr
cousin of Lancaster as king, and for that
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*/,i:.'*z. '.-:'[ T.ini, as he that -saw hirr.f.elf in
;yAt ':i.'.j^':r. Ar»'i th'.-r* he -aid to th-irm
::.'^\ v.".-/. I'.i.'o, ho-*' h'; wouH gla'Iiy vj^Ak
•A/h ':,'.. '/,i'\xi fA I..ar.caster.
CHAITER CCXL [CCXLIV]
Ho-v kififj ki'L^iard of England resigned the
*.r*yhu and ih'; r'^lm into the hands of the
'-arl of lJ*:r}jy, duke of I^ncaster.
1 1 wns -.hewed the duke of Lancaster how
l<i'^;hard of Jiordeaux desired to apeak with
[lirn. The duke in an evening tv^k a Vjarge
and went to the Tower by water, and went
lo the king, who received him courteously
sind [luinble'l hirn^elf greatly, as he that
w'lw [lirnself in great danger, and said :
'CouJn of I^ncaster, I regard and con-
sider ifiine estate, which is as now but
•.mail, 1 thank (jtA thereof. An any more
to rei;jn or to govern ]>eo]ile or to Ijear a
crown, I think it not ; and as fjod help me,
I would I were dear! by a natural death,
and that the French king had again hi.s
daught'.r. \Vc have had as yet no great
joy \tt'//'*.]n:T ; nor sith I l>rought her into
lin^d;iii'l, I could never have the love of
my |/'-ojil'r, a-) I had l>efore. Cousin, all
thin^^. considered, I know well I have
gn;atly lr<-sjja^".<;d against you and against
otlnT nobh-men of my l>lood ; Ijy divers
thing. I jx-rceivt: I .,liail never have j)ar(lon
nor conn: t«) peace. Wherefore with mine
t)Wn free and liberal will I will resign to
you the heritage of the crrjwn of Kngland,
■ — ^ m wT
ir.i I ziT.z^t t:c tii* the ^Ift thereof
Tk\'JL th* Z'tsq;L^l;c^' \\~-cii tie -iuke
: • >ir, :: i? convcment
*e es-iates of the realm
Knriy, ai^d I hare sect
2lrtaiT Zj€ =.in* •zi'z'.-szntz, prelaies ari
t.v--rill:ra :f the g"*-*- tcwiis of EngUna.
ir.i I tr-v: th-r.- will b* here wi"J:Lm ihii
thrust iiTs. s:^nen: of them {*jt vou i-j
ziake a. d-e resigr-itioa ^«ei :re them, an-i
:,T this =-.*sLr-s ye shall greatly appei<e
zzjlZ.'/ zz,^m. within the realm. For to wiJi-
•ta-d T-th er*om:t:e& aad e^'ils as have
heer. u.rer: ir. the realm for faalt of justice.
who zjLd. no place to reiga, I was sent i*
from beyoE. i the sea : aii i the p<eople wouW
crown ir.e, for the rcr.jwn runneth ;hr.«u^
Er-gland that I have more r^hi to the
crown than ye have. For when our gnnJ-
fither kir^ Edward the third did choose
and make you king, the same «'as as then
shewed him ; but he loved so his son the
prince, that none could break his pur^iose
nor opinion, but that you should be king.
And if ye would have followed the siep» uf
your £ither the prince, and have belie^'ol
his counsel, as a good son ought to have
done, ye might have been still king and
have continued your estate. But w ha«
always done the contrar)-, so that tne com-
mon renown runneth through England ami
in other places that ye were never son tu
the prince of Wales, but rather son to a
priest or to a canon ; for I have heard of
certain knights that were in the prince's
house, mine uncle, how that he knew well
that his wife had not truly kept her mar-
riage. Your mother was cousin<gennan ii'
king Edward, and the king began to hate
her, Ix^cause she could have no generation :
also she was the king's gossip of two chil-
dren at the font : and she tnat could well
keep the prince in her bandon by craft and
subtlety, she made the prince to lie her
husband ; and Ijecause she could have nn
child, she doubted that the prince slmuU
Ix; divorced from her ; she did so much
that she was with child with you and with
another before you. As of the first I cannut
tell what to judge, but as for you, l)ecaui«?
your conditions have been seen coniran*
from all nobless and prowess of the princi-.
. therefore it is saiil that ye Ix; rather son to
a priest or to a canon ; for when ye were
. giitten and Iwrn at liordeaux, there were
ABDICATION OF RICHARD 11.
460
many yaaog priests in the prince's bouse.
This is the bruit in this country, and ytiur
works have well followed the same : for ye
be always inclined tcp the pleasure of the
Frenchmen and 10 take with them peace,
to the confiisian and dishonour of the realm
of England. And because mine nncle of
Lllouceater and the earl of Arundel did
counsel you truly and faithfully to keep
ihe honour of the realm and to follow the
steps of your ancestors, ye have traitorously
caused them to die. As for me, I have
taken on me to defend your life as long as
I may for pity, and I shall pray the Lon-
doners and the heritors of them that ye
have slain and banished, to do the same.'
' Cousin, ! ibanlt you,' quoth the king ; ' I
trust more in you than in any other.' ' It
is but right that ye so should do, for if I
had not been, ye had been taken by the
people and deposed with great conftision
and slain, by reason of your evil works.'
Kinfr Richard heard well all the duke's
■wonis and wist not what to say against it ;
for he saw well that force nor arguments
could not avail him, but rather meekness
and humility ; wherefore he humbled him
and prayed the duke to save his life.
When the duke of Lancaster had been at
the Tower two hours with king Richard
and had shewed him part of his faults,
then he returned. And the next day he
sent forth more commandments into all
parts of the realm to cause noblemen and
other to come to London. His uncle the
duke of York came to London, and the
earl of Rutland his son, the earl of North-
umberland and the lord Thomas Percy his
brother : the duke of Lancaster made them
good cheer. Thither came also great
number of prelates and abbots. And on a
day the duke of Lancaster, accompanied
with lords, dukes, prelates, earls, barons
and knights, and of the nolablest men of
London and of other good towns, rode to
the Tower and there iSghted. Then king
Richard was brought into the hall, appar-
elled like a king in his robes of estate, his
sceptre in his hand and his crown 01
head. Then he stood up alone, not holden
nor stayed by no man, and said aloud
have been king of England, duke of
Acquilaine and lord of Ireland about
Iwenly-two years, which seignory, royalty,
and heritage I clearly resign
I
here to my cousin Henry of I^ncaster ;
and I desire him here in this open presence,
entering of the same possession, to lake
this sceptre.' And so dehvered it lo the
dnke, who took it. Then king Richard
took Ihe crown from his head with both his
haiids and set it before him, and said :
I cousin, Henry duke of Lancaster, I
and deliver you this crown, wherewith
as crowned king of England, and
therewith all the right thereto depending. '
The duke of Lancaster took it, and the
archbishop of Canterbury took it out of the
duke's hands. This resignation thus done,
the duke of Lancaster called a notary and
demanded to have letters and witness of all
the prelates and lords there being presi
Then Richard of Bordeanx returned again
the chamber from whence he came.
Then the duke of Lancaster and all other
leapt on their horses, and the crown and
sceptre were put in a coifer and conveyed
to the abbey of Westminster, and there
kept in the treasury. And every 1
went to their Lodgings and abode till the
day of parliament and council shoald be at
the palace of Weslmmster.
CHAPTER CC-\LI [CCXLV]
the coronation of king' Henry d
them
jr of the feast.
if the realm, and
In the year of our Lord God a thousand
three hundred fourscore and nineteen, the
last day of September on a Tuesday, began
a parliament at Westminster holden by
Henry duke of Lancaster, at which time
there was assembled prelates and clergy of
the realm of England a great number, and
also dukes, earls and barons, and of every
town a certain. Thus the people assembled
at Westminster, there being present the
duke of Lancaster, and there the same
duke challenged the realm of England and
desired to be king by three reasons : first
by conquest, secondly because he was heir,
and thirdly because Richard of Bordeaun
had resigned Ihe realm into his hands by
his free will in the presence of certain
dukes, earls, prelates and barons, in the hall
witliin the Tower of London. "These thtei
causes shewed,lhedukeofLancasterreq uired
470 THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
all the p>eopIe there present , as well one lates and derg}* came from Westminster
as other, to shew their minds and intents in church to the palace, to fetch the king
that behalf. Then all the people with one H-ith procession. And so he went to the
voice said that their wills was to have him , church a procession, and alt the lords with
king, and how the>' would have none other him in their robes of scarlet furred with
but him. Then the duke again said to the minever, barred of their shoulders aooord-
people : ' Sirs, is this your minds ? ' And ing to their dCTrees : ^ and over the king
they all with one voice said, 'Yea. yea.' was borne a cloth of estate of blue with fbar
And then the duke sat down in the si^e bells of gold, and it was borne by four
royal, which seat was raised up in the hall burgesses of the pcNls, as Dover and
and covered with a cloth of estate, so that other ; ' and on every side of him he had
ever}' man might well see him sit. And a sword borne, the one the sword of the
then the people lifted up their hands a-high. Church and the other the sword of justice :
promising him their faith and allegiance. the sword of the Church his son the prince
Then the parliament concluded, and the did bear, and the sword of justice the earl
day was taken for his coronation on Saint of Northumberland did bear, for he was as
Edward's day, the Monday the thirteenth then constable of England, for the earl of
day of October ; at which time, the Satur- Rutland was deposed from that office; and
day before his coronation, he departed the earl of Westmoreland, who was mar-
from Westminster and rode to the Tower shal of England, bore the sceptre,
of London with a great number. And Thus they entered into the church about
that night all such squires as should be nine <^ the clock ; and in the midst of
made knights the next day, watched, who the church there was an high scafToki all
were to the number of forty-six, ever}* covered with red, and in the midst thereof
squire had his own bain by himself ; and there was a chair royal covered with cloth
the next day the duke of Lancaster made ' of gold. Then the king sat down in that
them all knights at the mass time. Then chair, and so sat in estate royal, sating
had they long coats with strait sleeves he had not on the crown, but sat bore-
furred with minever like prelates, with r headed. Then at four comers of the
white laces hanging on their shoulders, scaffold the archbishop of Canterburr
And after dinner the duke departed from shewed unto the people how God had
the Tower to Westminster, and rode all sent them a man to be their kine, and
the way bareheaded, and about his neck demanded if they were content that he
the liver}- of France. He was accompanied should be consecrated and crowned as their
v^ith the prince his son, and six dukes. ; king. And they all with one voice said.
six earls and eighteen barons, and in all. ' Yea,' and held up their hands ptromising
knights and squires, a nine hundred horse : him &ith and obeisance. Then the king
then the king had on a short coat of cloth rose and went down the scaffold to the
of gold after the manner of Almaine. and high altar to be sacred, at which consecra-
he was mounted on a white courser and tion there were two archlHshops and ten
the garter on his left leg. Thus the duke bishops, and before the altar there he v-as
rode through London with a great num- despoiled out of all his vestures of estate,
ber of lords ever}- lord's serA-ant in their and there he was anointed in six places,
master's liver}-, all the burgesses and Lorn- on the head, on the breast, and on tne two
bards merchants in L<^ndon. and ever}- shoulders behind, and on the hands. Then
craft with their livery and device. Th'js a bonnet was set on his head ; and while
he was conve}-ed to Westminster. Ho he was anointing, the clerg}* sang the
was in numl^r a six thousand horse, and litany and such service as they sing at the
the streets hange^i as he rossevi by ; and halloA^ing of the font. Then the king was
*he same Tuy and the next there were in apparelled like a prelate of the Church.
Loinlon running seven conduits with wine, i Accorc-r.g to the fuller text the dukes mJ
white and red. That nij^ht the duke was earl> had thr^e borders of fur on their left >hou!ders
bained, and the next morning he was c^n- A=d the barons had two.
t»— jju j^u ^-v,,.,. - This i< the ancient nchto: the bureesseso* in '
fe:.sed and heard three masses, as he was .;^^^^ ^^^ Vroi^^^n nientions dUr alone.
'^med to do : and tlien all the pre- i but the transLtt^r has civrected him.
with a cope of red silk ' and s pair of spurs
isilh a point without a lowel : then the
iwotd of justice WDs drawn out of the
sheath and hallowed, and then it was token
Id the king, who did put it again
sheath ; then the acchblshnp of Canterbuiy
did gird the sword about him. Then Saiut
Edward's crown was brought forth, which
L> close above,' and blessed, and then the
atchbisbop did set it on the king's head.
After mass the king departed out of the
church in the same estate and went to his
pnlace ; and there was a fountain that ran by
divers branches while wine and red. Then
the king entered into the halt, a
a privy chamber, and after came out again
to dinner. At the lirst table sat the
king, at the second the five peers of the
realm, at the third the valiant men of
London, at the fourth the new-made
knights, at the lifth the knights and sijuires
of honour; and by the kiugstood the prince
holding the sword of the Church, and on
the other side the constable with the sword
of justice, and a little above the marshal
with the sceptre, and at the king's board
sat two archbishops and seventeen bi5hop>s.
And in the midst of the dinner there came
in a knight, who was called Dymoke, all
armed upon a good horse rich !y apparelled,
and had a knight before hitn bearing his
spear, and his sword by his side and his
dagger. The knight look the king a libel,
the which was read. Therein was con-
tained, that if there were other knight,
squire or any other gentleman, that would
say ibat king Henry was not rightful king,
he was there ready to fight with him m
that quarrel before the king or whereas it
should please him to appoint. That bill
was cried by an herald in six places of the
hall and in the town. There was none
that would challenge him. When the
king had dined, he look wine and spices
in the hall and then went into his chamber.
Then every man departed and went to
their lodginp. Thus the day passed of
kidg Ileury's coronation with great joy
and feast, which endured all the next day.
The earl of Salisbury was not at this
1 ' There the king wls apparelled in ve^meDls of
ll.e Church like a deacon, and ihen iheyputhim
on ihoeaarred like a piflale.'
solemnity, for he was in sure prison, and
the king's council and divers other noble-
men and the Londoners would that his
head should have been stricken off openly in
Cheap ; for they said he had well deserved
il for liearing of letters and credence from
Richard of Bordeaux to the French king,
and there to report openly that king Henry
was a false traitor, which fault they said
ought not to be pardoned. King Henry
was more gentle than so, for he had some
pity on him ; for the earl excused him and
said, that he did was by the king's com- I
mandment and by the setting on of the
four kn^hts that were beheaded. King
Henry believed well the earl's words, but
his council would not believe it, but said,
and so did the Londoners, that he should
die, because he had deserved death. Thus
the earl of Salisbury was in prison in great
danger of bis life.
And sir John Holland, earl of Hunting-
in, captam of Calais, was well informal
of the whole matter, and how his brother
king Richard was taken and in prison in
the Tower of London, and had resigned
his crown and all, and how Henty of
Lancaster was king of England. This earl
of Huntingdon, whatsoever displeasure he
had for the trouble of his tiothcr, yet
— isely he considered the time and ad-
:nturc5, and saw well that he was not able
I withstand all the power and puissance
of the realm. Also the countess his wife,
cousin -german to king Henry,
said: 'Sir, it must behove you to pass
your displeasure patiently and wisely, and
do not that thing whereby ye shall have
damage- For the king may do you much
good, and ye see that all the realm inclinelh
to him : ifye shew any displeasure to him-
■d, ye are but lost. Wherefore, ar, I
require you and I counsel you to dissimule
the matter j for as well king Henry now is
your brother, as king Richard was : there-
fore, sir, stick and lean to Win and ye shall
■ ' ■ n your good lover ; for there was
richer king in England than he is ;
he may do to you and to your children
great good-' The earl heard well the
words of his wife and believed her, and
inclined him to king Henry and offered
him humble obeisoncc and promised him
faith and troth. The king received him
and had great joy thereof, and he did s
472
THE CHRONICLES OF PROISSAkT
much with means of his friends, that the 1
earl of Salisbury was taken to grace and |
his excusations accepted and was clean i
pardoned.
CHAPTERS CCXLII-CCXLIV
[CCXLVI-CCXLVIII]
SUMMARY. — The news was brought to
France by thi lady of Courcy. The French
thought to win oi^er the cities of Acquitaine,
which had been much attached to Richard,
but these decided to retnain English. An
embassy was sent from France to see hcnv
the young queen of England did, and
assurances were given that she would be
well treated
The earls of Huntingdon cutd ScUisbury
made a rising against Henry, with a priest
called Maudeleyn to personcUe king Richard.
They were cUtacked while lodging in the \
town of Cirencester and either slcun or taken. :
The French king gathered an army as if
to invade England.
CHAPTER CCXLV [CCXLIX]
Of the death of king Richard of England ;
and how the truce between England and
France was renewed ; and also of the de-
position of pKDpe Benedict at Angnon.
It was not long after that true tidings ran
through London, how Richard of Bordeaux
was dead ; but how he died and by what
means, I could not tell when I wTOte this
chronicle. But this king Richard dead
was laid in a htter and set in a chare
covered with black baudkin, and four horses
all black in the chare, and two men in black
leading the chare, and four knights all in
black following. Thus the chare departed
from the Tower of London and was brought
along through London fair and softly, till
they came into Cheap>side, whereas the
chief assembly of London was, and there
the chare rested the space of two hours.
Thither came in and out m«^re than twentv
th..»usan'i rH:rr>«)r.^ men an«1 women, to see
him wherc:i5 he lay. his head on a black
cush'-n an-.i his vis.icre open. Some had
on him pity ani s-Dme none, but said he
h.-i. ! \-''-^'g deserve 1 *ier-th. Now consider
>\e'.I. ye great lords, kings, dukes, carls,
barons and prelates, and all men of great
lineage and puissance : see and behold bow
the fortunes of this world are marreUons ■
and turn diversely. This king Richanf :
reigned king of England twenty-two year ■
in great prosperity, holding great estate y
and seignory. There was never before aii^ \
king of England that spent so much in In !
house as he did, by a hundred thousand l
florins every year ; fcH* I, sir John Froissart,
canon and treasurer of Qumay, knew it \
well, for I was in his court more than a ;
quarter of a year together, and he made
me good cheer, because that in my youth
I was clerk and servant to the noble king
Edward the third, his grandfather, and witn
my lady Philippa of Hainault, queen of
England, his grandam ; and when I de-
parted from him, it was at Windsor, and
at my departing the king sent me by a
knight of his called sir John Golofre a
goblet of silver and gilt we^gfaii^ two mark
of silver, and within it a hundred nobles*
by the which I am as yet the better, and
shall be as loi^ as I live : wherefore I am
bound to pray to God for his soul, and with
much sorrow I write of his death; but
because I have continued this histor)',
therefore I write thereof to follow it.
In my time I have seen two things:
though they differ, yet they be true. I
was in the dty of Bordeaux and sitting at
the table when king Richard was bom, the
which was on a Tuesday about ten of the
clock. The same time there came thcrcas
I was, sir Richard Pontchardon, marshal as
then of Acquitaine, and be said to me:
* Froissart, write and put in memory that
as now my lady princess is brought abed
with a fair son on this Twelfth day, that
is the day of the three kings, and he is son
to a king's son^ and shall be a king.
This gentle knight said truth, for he was
king of England twenty -two year; but
when this knight said these words, he knew
full little what should be his condasioo.
And the same time that king Richard was
bom, his father the prince was in Galicc,
the which king don Peter had given him.
and he was there to conquer the reahn.
1 Or rather, 'he is son of a kir.ij.' In the sue-
cecdine passage the translators French leJrt ***
unintelligible to him owing to omissions and alten-
ti ■•n'i. and therefore he attempted an emendatJ-fi
.-riting 'son to a kings son." because he did not ko«^
ow Richard couM be called ' son of a kiiig." Inlke
«-ntxn
h
DEATH OP RICHARD II., 1400
473
Upon these things I have greatly imagined
sith ; for the first year that I came into
England into the service of queen Philippa,
king Edward and the queen and all their
children were as then at Berkhamstead, a
manor of the prince of Wales beyond Lon-
don. The king and the queen were come
thither to take leave of their son the prince
and princess, who were going into Acqui-
taine, and there I heard an ancient knight
devise among the ladies and said : * There
is a book which is called le Brut, and it
deviseth that the prince of Wales, eldest
son to the king, nor the duke of Gloucester,
should never be king of England, but the
realm and crown should return to the house
of Lancaster.* There I, John Froissart,
author of this chronicle, considering all
these things, I say these two knights, sir
Richard Pontchardon and sir Bartholomew
of Burghersh, said both truth ; for I saw,
and so did all the world, Richard of Bor-
deaux twenty-two year king of England,
and after the crown returned to the house
of Lancaster, and that was when king
Henry was king, the which he had never
been if Richard of Bordeaux had dealt
amiably with him ; for the Londoners
made him king because they had pity on
him and on his children.
Thus when king Richard had lain two
hours in the chare in Cheapside, then they
drave the chare forward : and when the
four knights that followed the chare afoot
were without London, they leapt then on
their horses, which were there ready for
them, and so they rode till they came to a
village called Langley, a thirty mile from
London, and there this king Richard was
buried. God have mercy on his soul !
Tidings spread abroad how king Richard
was dead : he tarried every day for it,^ for
every man might well consider that he
should never come out of prison alive.
His death was long kept and hid from his
wife. The French king and his council
were well informed of all this, and the
full text the meaning is clear : ' he is son of a king,
for his^ father is king of Galicia. King don Peter
hath given him that kingdom and he goes to con-
quer It.' As a matter of fact the prince of Wales
did not set forth from Bordeaux till after the birth
of Richard, and he never actually went into Galicia
at all.
1 Careless translation. The French is, * et on
n'atendoit tous les jours autre chose,' ' and nothing
else was looked for.'
knights and squires desired nothing but
the war and that they might ride upon the
frontiers. Howbeit, the councils, as well
of the one realm as of the other, took their
advice and thought it best to uphold still
the truce that was taken before : they
thought it more profitable than the war.
And a new treaty was devised to be in the
marches of Calais, because the French king
was not in good case, nor had not been
sith he knew of the trouble that king
Richard was in : and yet his sickness
doubled when he knew that he was dead,
so that the duke of Burgoyne had the chief
rule of the realm. And he came to Saint-
Omer's and to Bourbourg, where the duke of
Bourbon was, and sir Charles d'Albret, and
Charles of Hangest and John of Chateau
Morant, and of prelates the patriarch of
Jerusalem and the bishops of Paris and of
Beauvais ; and on the English party there
was the earl of Northumberland, the earl
of Rutland, the earl of Devonshire and the
lord Henry Percy, the earl's son, and Evan
of Fitzwarren, and prelates there were the
bishops of Winchester and of Ely. The
Frenchmen demanded to have again de-
livered the young queen of England, but
the Englishmen would in no wise deliver
her, but said she should live still in Eng-
land upon her dowry, and that though she
had lost her husband, they would provide
for her another, that should be fair, young
and gentle, with whom she should be
better pleased than with Richard of Bor-
deaux, for he was old ; and this should be
the prince of Wales, eldest son to king
Henry. To this the Frenchmen would
not agree ; for they would not consent
thereto without licence of the king her
father, who as then was not in good point,
for he was far out of the way, no medicine
could help him. So that matter was laid
apart, and the treaty of truce went for-
ward in such wise, that by consent of both
parties they sware and were bound to keep
the truce twenty-six year more to the four
years that it had endured ; the which in
all was thirty year according to the first
covenant. And upon this writings were
made and sealed by procurations of both
kings. This done, every man returned to
their own countries.
I have not as yet shewed you what be-
came of the earl marshal, by whom first all
474 THE CHROHICLES OF FROISSART
\\iteyt uibakaifjon bcgui in tbe reaim of vovid not be uadcr ids ooessaxics. This
Ellwand ; bat nam I ihaD shew job. He nev Idng of Ainsxae tiBM iiT to bdng the
WM at Venke, aad vfacn he knew that Qmidi to a vBitT aad peace : howbck, the
king Hcsry was king ami king Richard French king and has caamaL trexCBd with
taken and dead, he took thereof so gicat the LiegeaB» who hebi with t^ pope at
di»pleasiire and sorrow, that he hud him Rone, and they did so mndi hf de neans
down on his bed and fen in a frenzy and so of ar Baodwinof Moo^xnHn^wbogvrenKd
died. Soch wmrhirronnifss fell in those j a great port of the IwshnfjL of Liege, who
days npon great kirds of Fngfand, | was a knight of the Froich king's. » that
Ann in the year of oor Lord God a tho*- i by hb Beans at the desire of the Freodi
sfcand (rmr himdred, one less, pope Benedict long the coontry of Liege tsmed to becooie
at Arignon, who had been snstained long neuter ; so that the Li^enis sent to Rone
by the Frcacbmtn, was as then deposed : for ail the ciergy tiat woe there of tkdr
and in like wise so was the king of Al- coontry to come by a rrrraiw day, or che
maine for li» eril deeds ; ' for the electors to lose all their htciirfirrv in the cootiy.
fA the Kjnpwe and ail the dakes and barons When they heard that, they letiueii fron
of Almaine rose against him and sent him Rome and came to Liege. And pope
into Boeme, whereas he was king; and Botuhce^ who lost mocfa by that tons-
they chose another, a valiant and a wise ' mutation, sent a legate into Aimaine to
man, Ui be king of Almaine, and he was . preach among them, to canse them to
one f4 the Bariers and was called Robert ' return ;^ain to his part ; but the legate
of Heidelberg ; and he came to Cologne, j durst not pass Cologne, and sent letters to
where he was crowned with the crown ck Laege. When those letters were read, the
Almaine, for they of Au would not open messenger was answered, that oo pain of
their town to him, nor the duke of Guddres
drowning he should no more come on soch
1 -Tv^ «!/ I J J f- . message, for they said : * As many messen-
iV^ A» to po|« Benedict, he was noe dfcctWrly. g««a^ ««»«"» ^™.*^S«^"^^
depotcd tin the coandl of Pi«a in 1409. '• be drowned in the river of Mease.
FINIS Tonus FROISSART
l'^t)U0 enbetl) rl)C t^itie anU fotittlic bobf of 0ir ;|o^n
ffroiggart, of t!jc tconptlcis of (EnfflanBc, fcaimce, a'papne,
^octiiiffalE, SicotlantiE, iBcetajiie, jf launOErfi, aiil otl)Cc plates
aUiopnyngr: 'tlcanstated out of jFrentljt into inatccnall
QEntrljssijE, lip3!oljau Souccljier knpgljt, lotb 3&ci'iters,i)FpiitiE
SftiECall of ttjt kitigcs totoitE of Calaffi anti maitljcs of tfir
santf, at tl)E Ijj'ijljr commauiiDeniEiit of our inoosst tcOouttti'
souErapne loroc bins ^eiii-g tfje ciffljt, bfUff of QEnslaiiae
anB of jFcainicc, anD ^I'sljc OEfcitdfc of tfje cljcisfttn faptljE,
etc. 'E^ite toljiclje ttoo liokcc lie compvlcb (uto one tolume, aiitt
fpnpssIjEti (11 tfjc fiapt rotone of Calais t^e x- fia? of macc^c m
tfte ;;tji. jrcc of our saiti souecapiie lortics caiffiic. ^'I'Pr'nt^El
at ?Coni3on, in JFletcstirEre, hp Ei'tftacOe ^prnaon, printec to
ttje kinjes moost noble ffcace, auO EnDeD tlje last Bajj of
auffuBt,tI)E pere of our lorfic pO Sl9aD1E9£iH.
Cum pttuplesio a re^E indulto.
GLOSSARY
The references are to the chapters, but also, where necessary, to the pages : as a rule
one reference is given for each meaning, but when the word occurs repeatedly with that
meaning, * etc. ' is often added to the reference. It must be understood that many of
the words mentioned are used also in their modern sense.
A, for • have,' e.g. ' if he would a believed
them,' i. 140, p. 113; etc.
Abandon, complete control^ in the phrase ' in
your abandon, ' Fr. \ vostre abandon, i. 9.
Abash, Fr. esbahir, dismay, i. 9, etc.
Abused, deceived, ii. 221.
Abusion, deception, ' abusion on,' error on
the part of, ii. 215, p. 452 (but perhaps
• on' is a misprint for *of '). The French
' abusion ' means here rather 'scruple. '
Abye, pay for ^ i. 384, p. 259.
Achieve, be accomplished, i. 376, p. 246.
Addition, title, i. Pref.
Advance oneself (or one's body), distinguish
oneself y i. 165, etc.
Advertise, observe, i. Pref.
Advice, consideration, i. 18, p. 18.
Advise, consider, observe, i. 18, etc.
Affectuously, Fr. affectueusement, earnestly,
i. 8, etc. (often spelt ' eflfectuously ' ).
Affiance, confidence, i. 231, p. 158.
ASroyed, frightened , i. 184, etc.
Again, in comparison with, ii. 198, p. 431.
Against, to meet, i. 7, etc.
A-high, on high, aloud, i. 160, 164.
Alan, mastiff, ii. 24, p. 323.
Aland, on land, i. 81, etc.
Alate, of late, ii. 37.
Aleft, left (verb), i. 26, p. 37 (unless it is for
•a left,' i.e. 'have left').
Alexandre or Alisandre, Alexandria.
Almain, German.
Almaine, Germany.
Ambassade, embassy, i. 15, etc.
Anger, regard "with anger, i. 284 (end).
Apparel, prepare, i. 6, etc. : also intrans.,
i. 9, p. 8.
Appeal, summon, challenge, i. 243 (beg.),
etc.
Archegay, lance (for throwing), i. 237, p.
177.
Armeny, Armenia.
Armoury, armorial bearings, i. 160 ;
heraldry, ii. 213.
Arranged, pitched (battle), i. 3.
Assemble, join battle, engage (in fight), i.
422, etc.
Assised, situated, i. 17 (where the original
edition has ' assysed to ').
Assist, support, accompany, ii. 153, p. 383.
Assister, supporter, ii. 153, p. 383.
Assoil, absolve, 1. 233, etc.
Ast, Dax.
Astonied, stunned, i. 163.
Attemperance, self-restraint, ii. 181, p.
408.
Attrap, catch, ii. 80, p. 363.
Austrich, Austria.
Availen, avail (3rd pers. plur. ), ii. Pref
Availing, declivity, i. 18, p. 21.
Avale, avail, descend, i. 131.
Avaunt, boast, ii. 137.
Aview, view (verb), i. 40.
Avise, observe, i. 39, etc. : ' to avise one-
self of,' to perceive, think of.
Avoid, leave, depart, i. 25, 229, etc. : dis-
miss, i. 25.
Awork, to work (adv. ), i. 59.
Aworth, patiently, ii. 239 (beg.).
Axe, ask, ii. 238 (end).
47^
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Bailiage, district under a 'baily,' ii. 197,
p. 427.
Bailiff, ruler t i. 398.
Bails, Fr. bailie, barrier (before the gate of
a town), i. 38, etc.
Baily, officer set over a town or district, i.
349. etc.
Bain, bathe, ii. 27 : bath (noun), i. 325.
Baleine, whalebone, i. 419 (end).
Bandon (cp. * abandon *), in the phrase * in
her bandon,' 'at her will'; but it is a
translation of 'dans ses lacs,' 'in her toils' :
ii. 240.
Barded, equipped with armour (of horses).
Bascot, bastard, ii. 28.
Base, low, lower ^ ii. 28, p. 338.
Basenet, bassenet, helmet, i. 164, etc.
Bash, Fr. s'esbahir, be dismayed, i. 221, p.
149.
Y^^s^^A&, fortress, i. 133, etc.
Battle, division (of army), army, i. 18, etc.
Baudkin,yf«tf cloth (properly of Bagdad), ii.
153 (beg. ), etc.
Beaten, see notes on pp. 372, 374.
Beaten with, embroidered with (arms), i. 235,
p. 171 ; 270 (mid.).
Behated, hated, i. 229 (end).
Behest, promise, i. 399.
Behoveful, advantageous, i. Pref.
Beknown, to be, to acknowledge, i. 400, p.
274.
Belfry, tower, i. 109.
Believe, trust, i. 162, p. 126 ; etc.
Ben, are, i. Pref.
Beseen, furnished, in the phrase * richly
beseen,' ' in rich array,' i. tj, 166.
Besyne, Fr. besongne, affair, i. 7, etc. ; but
' besynes ' and ' business ' (sometimes spelt
•besynes') are difficult to distinguish in
the translator's pages.
Bidaus, the name of a kind of light-armed
soldier, i. 50, etc.
Bobance, Fr. boban, confidence, i. 399.
Boeme, Bohemia.
Bolsterer, maintainer, i. 350.
Bone, good, i. 399.
Boot, help, i. 87, etc.
Bounty, goodness, i. 406, ii. Pref.
Bourage (of Saint Peter), Fr. bourg, the so-
called 'borgo,' i.e. the Leonine city, at
Rome, i. 326, 346.
Bourder, idle talker, i. 343, p. 213.
Bourg, bastard, i. 229, etc.
Brabances, men of Brabant.
3rast, were broken, i. 356.
Bren, bum, i. 15, etc. (but ' bum ' is also ;
found). i
Bretayne, Brittany.
Bricole, an engine for throwing stones, ii.
167, p. 402.
Brigand, one of a band, equivalent to 'com-
panion,' i. 220, p. 145 ; etc.
Brigandine, a light vessel, ii. 167, p. 400.
Broach, spit, i. 126.
Bruit, noise, rumour, i. 18, etc. <
Brulling, disturbance, i. 350 (title).
Brunt, shock, violence of combat, i. 44 : also
of the sea, i. 91.
Bude, Buda.
Bulgary (spelt 'bowgery'), heresy, ii. 159.
P- 395- ;
Burgoyne, Burgundy.
Burgoynian, Burgundian.
Bursa, Broussa.
Bushment, ambush, i. 375, etc.
But, only, i. 428 (mid. ).
By, except, ii. 34, p. 346.
Calabre, Calabria.
Can, know, i. 2, so 'could well the lan-
guage,' i. 40 : also in such phrases as 'I
can him thank,' i.e. 'I am grateful to
him,* as translation of ' savoir gr6.' In i.
344 * conde ' is probably a misprint for
'coude.'
Canayr, probably for 'nacayr,' Fr. nacaire,
kettledrum, i. 12.
Carol, dance (verb), ii. 156, p. 392.
Carolling, dancing, i. 344.
Carriage, baggage, \. 50, 231, etc., but fre-
quently also in the sense of 'wheeled
vehicle,' see note on i. 18, p. 24.
Cataloyne, Catalonia.
Cautel, trick, i. 235, 426.
Celler, canopy, ii. 153, p. 387.
Centenier, head of a hundred, i. 349 (end) ;
375. P- 243-
Certain, inform, i. 270 (beg. ).
Cess (verb), rate, tax, i. loi.
Cessing, levying (taxes), ii. 159, p. 394.
Chafe, heat, ii. 184, p. 416 ; etc.
Challenge, claim, i. 164.
Chapeau, chapew, cap^ >• 419 (end), etc.
Chare, cart, carriage^ i. 162, p. 124 ; etc.
Charette, carriage, i. 17.
Chatelainy, castelry (district of a fortress), i.
22, etc. (sometimes written 'castlayne').
Cheap, in the phrase * with good cheap,' as
translation of '^ bon marchiet,' i. 16 (end) :
' good cheap, ' cheaply, i. 403 (end).
GLOSSARY
479
Cheer, countenance, i. 8i, etc.
Cinquantenier, head of Jifty, i. 349 (end) ;
375. P- 243-
Clipse, eclipse, i. 130.
Closed, /orit/led, i. 39.
Closing, close, Fr. pourpris, ii. 221 (end).
Coast, district, ii. 197, p. 426.
Coast, go by the side of, pass along by, accom-
pany, i. 159 (beg.), etc.
Comble (in heraldry), dimin. of 'chief,' i.
n (end).
Comfort, support, i. 30, etc.
Comforter, supporter, \. 350.
Commise, commit, i. 12.
Commit, desire (?), i. 384, p. 259.
Common ty, common people, i. 140, p. 112 ;
etc.
Compact, compacted, bound, i. Pref.
Companion, one of a company, adventurer,
\. 215, etc.
Complect, embrace, i. Pref.
Compoin (oneself) with, join with, i. 243
(mid.); cp. 'compone.'
Condign, well merited, T. Pref.
Condition, temper, disposition, i. 4.
Confisc, confiscate, ii. 34, p. 346.
Conscience, scruple, i. 381, p. 251.
Constantine, Constantinople.
Contagious, injurious, i. 233, p. 163.
Contemplation, in the phrase • k la con-
templation de," 'out of regard to,' ii. 26
(beg.).
Continue, contents, ii. 28, p. 337.
Convenable, proper^ i. 170.
Conveniently, properly^ i. 7.
Cordewan, Cordova.
Corogne, Coruna.
Counsels, deputies, burgesses, Fr. consauls, i.
64, etc.
Countersingle, girth, i. 18, p. 20.
Countervail, atone for, i. 139.
Countervenge, counleravenge, avenge, i. 44,
229, p. 155.
Courage, hearty inclination, \. loi, etc.
Cowardness, cowardice, ii. 33, p. 344.
Credence, letters of credence, credentials, ii.
215, p. 451 ; 228 ; etc.
Cresset, light (in a cup at the top of a pole),
i. 400, p. 274.
Croisey, crusade, i. 27, etc.
Cry, battle-cry, motto, i. 31 ; ii. 25, etc. : pro-
clamation, i. 18, p. 20 ; etc.
Cry, proclaim, i. 18, p. 20.
Cure-boly, Fr. cuir boulit, boiled hide^ i.
109.
Currour, scout, \. 103, etc.
Curse, excommunicate, \. 229. p. 154.
Cursing, excommunication, i. 8, etc.
Custos, guard, i. Pref.
Cypre, Cyprus.
Damage, loss, pity, i. 20 (end), etc. (some-
times spelt ' domage ').
Damas, Damascus.
Danger, difficulty, ii. 215, p. 450, in translat-
ing the French phrase, * k grant dangler.'
Deceived, see note on L 231.
Defend, forbid, stop, repel, i. 8, 50, 161,
etc.
Defiance, challenge^ declaration of war, i.
15, etc.
Defoil, violate, i. 37: maltreat, i. 215, p.
141.
Defoiling, violation, i. 124.
Defy, challenge to combat, i. 25, etc.
Demain, domain, ii. 196 (end).
Depart, separate, trans, or intrans., i. 81,
91, etc. : leave, i. 375, p. 242 : distribute,
\. 231, p. 159.
Descrive, describe^ ii. Pref.
Devoir, duty^ i. Ftef., etc.
Devotion, pious desire, i. 326 (beg.).
Dime, tithe, i. 170, etc.
Disanchor, raise anchors, i. 37 (end).
Discovered, uncovered, ii. 153, p. 383.
Discrease, decrease, ii. 229, p. 460.
Disdain, displeasure, i. 344, p. 215.
Disdainous, disdainful, ii. 42, p. 358.
Disherit, disinherit, i. 167.
Dislodge, depart, break up camp, i. 18, p. 20;
etc.
Dispense, expense, i. 32.
Displeasant, unpleasant, i. 221, p. 148.
Dispurveyed, unprovided, i. 26, p. 36.
Dissimule, dissemble, i. 348, p. 224 ; etc.
Distance, dij^erence, i. 357.
Distruss, strip of baggage, i. 57 (title).
Diverse, Fr. divers, perverse, bad, i. 4.
Diversely, badly, i. 6.
Done, do (3rd pers. plur. pres. ), ii. Pref.
Doubt, fear (noun and verb), i. 18, p. 23 ;
etc.
Douze-peers, twelve peers, \. 21.
Douzime, twelfth, i. 426 (end).
Drad, dreaded, i. 9, p. 7 : also 'dread,' ii.
197. P* 428 ; etc.
Drapery, cloth-making, i. 123.
Dredge-box, comfit-box, Yx. drageoir, ii. 153,
p. 387.
Dress, set up, arrange, i. 221, etc,
48o
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
Dressing-board, side-board, ii. 153, p. 386.
Dunoe, Danube,
Easement, convenience, i. 348, p. 225 ; 400.
Easily, slightly, i. 39.
EflFectuously, Fr. effectuelment, probably the
same as ' affectuously, ' i. 24 (end).
Eke, also, i. Pref.
Embassade, envoy, ii. 215, p. 451; cp.
' ambassade. '
Embrase, stir up, inflame, ii. 181, p. 408.
Embushed, ambushed, ii. 208,
Embushment, ambush.
Engine, genius, ii. 198, p. 431.
Enherit, make heir, i. 231, p. 157 ; cp.
' inherit.'
Enlumined, illumined, ii. 197, p. 430.
Enquire, seek after, i. Pref.
Ensign, teach, point out, i. Pref. , etc.
Ensure, engage, promise in marriage, i. 314
(end) : espouse, i. 140 (title).
Enterprise, undertake, i. 229, p. 155 ; etc.
Entreat, negotiate, ii. 28, p. 337.
Entreator, negotiator, \. 314, p. 205.
Errand, occasion for a journey, ii. 27, p. 335.
Escault, Scheldt.
Eschew, avoid, i. 30, etc.
Eiscry, observe, i. 221, p. 148.
Estate, retinue, ii. 161.
Exhort, exhortation, ii. Pref,
Exile, Fr. exillier, destroy, lay waste, i. 26,
p. 36 ; etc.
Exf)ert, gained by experience, i. Pref.
Extraught, extracted, descended, i. 25, etc.
Eyen, eyes, i. 26, p. 37 ; etc.
Fail, miss, i. 163.
Fain, obliged, i. 16, p. 16 ; etc.
Fain (verb), Fr. se faindre, hesitate, decline,
i. 237 (end).
YoSni, feigned, ii. 29, p. 338.
Fault,^//, i. 18.
Fauty, see note on i. 12.
Feeble, grow feeble, i. 379, p. 248.
Feeblished, weakened, ii. 181, p. 408.
¥Q\ni\y, for a feint, i. 221, p. 148.
Felly, angrily, i. 146.
Felonous, angry, i. 384, p. 258.
Felony, cruelty, i. 7.
Fewe, track (of a deer), ii. 27, p. 335 ; pro-
bably connected with ' feute. ' I
Fiance, espouse, i. 140, p. 113.
Finance, payment, esp. for ransom, i. 239, I
p. 184 ; etc. : sum of money, ii. 28, p.
337-
Fode forth, put off (a person), prolong (the
time), ii. 42, p. 356 ; 128.
Foin, thrust, i. 237.
Folly, foolish, ii. 26, p. 330.
Fondes, Fondi.
For, instead of, i. Pref. , etc.
Force, account, value, in the phrases 'set
less force in,' for 'esteem less,' I 280;
' made no force of them,* ii. 229, p. 460.
Fordo, do away with, i. 21, etc.
Forenger, forager, ii. 33, p. 341.
Forfeit, do wrong, i. 235, p. 169.
Forfeit, wrong (noun), i. 431, p. 302.
Forth, onward, i. 162, p. 125 ; etc.
Forthright, straight on, i. 140 (end).
Fortravailed, exhausted, i. 18, p. 18.
Fouage, hearth-tax, i. 241.
Franchises, liberties, i. 26, 349.
Frank, free, spelt ' fraunches, ' ii. 156, p.
389-
Fx2cy^ fright, disturbance, i. 87, 346 (mid.).
Frequentation, habit, ii. 198, p. 431.
Fresh, lively, ii. 156, p. 389.
Frise, Friesland. *
Frisk, lively, ii. 156, p. 392 ; spelt 'frysco'
or 'friscay,' cp. 'fresh.'
Frontier, border, face {e.g. ' on the frontier
of the enemies ' for • in the face of the
enemy'), i. 235, p. 171 : 'frontier war 'is
war waged from fortresses on the enemy's
border, i. 170, etc.
Fumish, Fr. fumieu, obstinate, i. 346 (beg.).
FuTO\ir,fury, ii. 213, p. 447.
Gabelle, salt-tax, i. 426 (end).
Galice, Galicia.
Garnish, garrison (verb), i. 26, p. 36.
Gascoyne, Gascony.
Gaunt, Gauntois, Ghent, men of Ghent.
Gedeours, Jedworth.
Genepar,yV/«?^^/(bul the French is genestres),
i. 419.
Genes, Genoa.
Genetours, men mounted on genets, i-t.
small Spanish horses, i. 236 (end).
Genoways, Genoese.
Gest, exploit, i. Pref.
Gested, performed, i. Pref.
Glaive, spear, i. 39.
Glint, glance, ii. 139.
Glose, reflect upon, ii. 197, p. 428.
Gonds, hinges, i. 426, p. 294.
Good, wealth, i. 383, p. 255.
Gossip, fellow- sponsor, ii. 240. p. 468:
familiar friend, i. 280.
ric
■- 1
^C
GLOSSARY
481
Graces, tkanJks, L Prtf.
Grapper, grt^pHng-hook, L 50.
Gre, gree, ySninnrr, goodwnU, L Pref., etc
Grise, ^of ,^rr, propeilj fur of the gray
squirrel. L 381, p. 251.
Gurged, collected (of rivers). L 1.
Hackney, fony^ L 18 (beg.).
Hainowes. wun cf HctimauU.
Hamede (in beratdrr). a fess made of three
pieces whi<^ do not touch the bc»der of
the shidd, L 162. p. 124.
Hampton. Southam^om.
Hardfly, boldly, L 231. p. 158.
Hardy, bold, L i, etc.
Harness, baggage, L 18. p. 18 : also in the
sense of armour.
Harrow, alas, u. 184. p. 417.
Herebefore, before this, i. 26, p. 35 ; etc
Herse. harrow, L 130 (b^.).
Hight, e.g. 'I hight,' I am called, L 163.
Him, often for 'himselli' e.g. 'weening to
him/ 'thinking to himself,' L 20, p. 28.
Histographier, historian, i. Pref.
Ho, cry oi hold! stop! ii. 138 (end).
Hobby, small horse, i. 128, etc.
Hocqueton, a kind of coat, i. 419 (end), etc.
Holmess, knife (?), i. 419 (end).
Hormyes, horns (?), i. 147, p. 116.
Hosting, e.g. 'at an hosting pace,' 'at a
rapid pace,' as of an army advancing to
battle, i. 237, p. 175.
Hotisel, give communion to, i. 18. p. 21 :
'to be houselled,' 'to receive the com-
munion.'
Imaginative, ingenious, \. 270 (end), etc.
Imagine, consider, i. 266, p. 194.
In, get in (harvest), ii. 22, p. 317.
Indurate, hard, \. 398, p. 270.
Infamed, disgraced, ii. 80, p. 363.
Inhabitable, uninhabitable, i. 26. p. 36 ; etc.
Inherit (a person), make (him) heir, i. 167,
p. 36.
Intend, endeavour, attend, L 51, etc.
Intent, endeavour (noun), i. 237, p. 176.
Inutile, void, ii. 196 (end).
Irk, hate (verb), i. Pref.
Jack, coat, ii. 184, p. 416.
Jangle, Jest, i. 270, p. 196 ; etc.
Jangler, y«/^, i. 343, p. 213.
Jape, Jest, i. 233, p. 165.
Jeopard, risk (verb), i. 18, etc.
Jolly, gay, lively, i. 229, p. 155 ; etc.
2 I
Joamey, day, battle, expeditiom, L 40, 4a,
163. etc.
Joy of, tMJoy, iL 97. p. 334.
Kf.rchkr. lurckief, ii. 28. p. 338.
Know, in the phrase ' to be known <tf.* «.e.
* to admowledge.* L 9 (b^.). etc
Knowledge, acknowledge, L 24. p. 33.
Lakgess, liberality, L 14, etc
Latten, brass, ii. 25, p. 328.
Laund. glade in a wood, lamie, i. 406. p.
282 ; ii. 22, p. 317 ; etc
Learn, teach, ii. 198. p. 431.
Lecto, Lithuania.
L^ti\'e, legitimate, i. 229, p. 154.
Let. kinder, i. 239. etc : tarry, i. 127, p.
loi ; 199.
Libbard, leopard, vl 198. p. 434.
Light, easy, i 23.
Lightly, usually, L 38, etc : readily, i. 239,
p. 182.
Limit, appoint, agree, L 24. p>. 32 ; etc
Limitee. vassal, iL 206, p. 439.
List, desire (noun), i. 270. p. 196.
Livenges. victuals, iL 198, p. 434.
Livery, delivery, L 223, p. 151.
Livery, inn (?), ii. 156, p. 390.
Lodge, lodging, i. 18, p. 20 ; etc
Loop, loophole, ii. 153.
Louage, commendation, L i.
Maixe, mallet, L 419 (end), etc
Mallorca, Majorca.
Maltote, tax, i. 170.
Many, number, ii. 24. p. 322.
March, e.g. * if we did march near you,' * if
we had our borders near you, ' i. 376.
Marches, regions, \. 235, p. 170.
Marish, marsh, i. 18, etc.
Marmoset, /<2iv«r»/^, ii. 42, p. 357.
Martinet, an engine for casting stones, i.
120, p. 93.
Mastery, difficult feat, i. 403, p. 279.
Me, often for ' myself. *
Meddle, manage, \. 179 : mingle, i. 222.
Meddling, combat, \. 8i : managing, i. 179.
Meetly, suitable, i. 16 (end).
Melancholious, melancholy, i. 346 (beg.).
Memorial, memory, ii. 198, p. 434.
Mess, dish, ii. 153, p. 386.
Message, messenger, ii. 24, p. 323.
Mester, craft, i. 173.
Mete, boundary, ii. 197, p. 427.
Meteiin, Mytilene.
482
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSAKT
Mid, myddes, middle^ i. 3a.
Miniver, small fur, i. 403, etc.
Modered, moderated, ii. 184, p. 412,
More, moreover, i. Pref.
Mulet, mule, ii. 24, p. 323.
Namely, especially, i. 18, p. 18.
Nazres, Najara.
Ne, not, ii. Pref.
Near hand, nearly, ii. 36, p. 351.
Neuter, neutral, ii. 229, p. 457.
Newelty, novelty, ii. 198, p. 433.
Nobless, nobleness, i. 146, p. 116.
Nother, often for 'neither.'
Noyful, troublesome, i. 356, p. 236.
Obeisance, obedience, i. 109.
Obeisant, obedient^ i. 238, p. 180.
Occision, slaughter, ii. 208, p. 442.
Once, in the first place, i. Pref.
Only, alone, i. 40, etc.
Open, from ' ope,' opened, ii. 198, p. 431.
Or, ere.
Ordain, set in order, i. 18, p. 18.
Oreiller, pillow (in heraldry), i. 17 (end).
Orgulous, proud, i. 229, p. 155 ; etc.
Other ... or, whether . . . or, i. 10, etc. ;
either , , . or, i. 146, etc.
Ought, owed, i. 241, p. 185.
Outrage, deed of daring, i. 384, p. 260.
Outrageous, daring, savage, ii. 181, p. 409 ;
etc. ; outrageoust, i. 137, etc.
Overlaid, pressed by an enemy, ii. 213, p.
443-
Oversee, examine, ii. 197, p. 428.
Ow&cihiovf , fall over, i. 270 (mid.).
Pain, attempt, endeavour, i. 162, p. 124 ;
etc.
Paliard, worthless fellow, i. 356, p. 235.
Pampelone, Pamplona.
Pane, piece (of a wall), i. 283.
Panel, saddle-cloth, i. 18, p. 20.
Part, distribute, i, 231, p. 161.
Party, place, side, i. 22 : match, ii. 33, p.
344.
Vz.\xon, fellow, i. 381, p. 252: shipmaster,
ii. 167, p. 400.
Pavis, shield: as verb, cover with shield, i.
109, etc.
Pease, for appease, ii. 188 (end).
Pelerin, peregrine (falcon), i. 406.
Pensel, small pennon, i. 237, p. 176.
Pentice, penthouse, i. 125, p. 98.
Periloust, most perilous, ii. 239, p. 465.
Perse, Persia.
Persevere, continue, i. 237, p. 174 ; etc.
Pight, pitched, i. 164, p. 129 ; etc.
Pike, thrust, i. 163.
Pile, drive in (piles), i. 403, p. 280.
Pill, plunder, i. 18, p. 18.
Piller, plunderer, ii. 24, p. 318.
Piment, spiced drink, ii. 153, p. 384.
Pladn,full, i. 14, 229, etc.
Plancher, plank floor, i. 400, p. 275.
Planted, striped (in pales), u 419 (end).
Plash, pool, i. 399, p. 273.
Plump, group, i. 357, p. 237.
Point, for * appoint,' i. 109.
Point, end (noim). i. Pref.
Poister, weigh down, 1. Pref.
Potent (in heraldry), ii. 198, p. 434 : the
cross potent or potency is crutch-shaped
at the ends.
Pregnable, possible to be taken, ii. 24, p.
323-
Prewe, brave, i. i.
Prisonment, imprisonment, ii. 215, p. 449.
Profitable, valid, ii. 197, p. 427.
Proof, in the phrase * to take with the proof,*
i.e. * to take in the act,' i. 152.
Provision, preparation, i. 35.
Pruce, Prussia.
Pucelle, damsel, i. 13, etc.
Puilen, fowls, i. 16 (end).
Purchase, procure, endeavour, i. Pref. , etc.
Purchase (noun), endeavour, i. 37.
P\ix%\y&, follow, i. 229.
Purveyance, provision, preparation^ i. 6, etc.
Puylle, Apulia,
Quayre, Cairo.
Quit, set free, i. 166.
Rack, loss, i. 124.
Rappease, pacify, i. 44, p. 57 ; etc.
Rascal, common herd, i. 18 (beg. ) ; also as
adjective, i. 229, p. 155.
Rash down, pull down, i. 147.
Ready, dressed, i. 18, p. 23.
Rearband, rearguard, ii. 141.
Recule, retire, i. 18, p. 22; etc.: drive back,
ii. 140 : also refl. ' reculed them aback,' i.
129.
Redress, relief, i. 18, p. 19.
Regaly, royalty, i. 15, etc.
Regard, as title the same as the Flemish
'rewaert,' ruler, i. 403, p. 279.
Rejoice, enjoy, ii. 197, p. 426.
P.€^o\xxii, journey (verb), i. 375, p. 243.
GLOSSARY
483
Relieve, raise up^ or raise oneself up^ i. 130,
p. 104 ; etc.
Relong, prolongs i. 63 (end).
Rencounter, rencountering, encounter ^ i. 120,
etc.
Reny, renounce (homage), ii. 181, p. 409.
Repoin, feel sorry, i. 130, p. 105.
Report, see note on i, 179.
Require, request, i. Pref., etc.
Resort, appeal, right of appeal, i. 242, etc.
Rest, arrest, i. 343 (mid.).
Retray, retire, \. 18, p. 23.
Ribaudeux, pointed stakes, carried by the
Gauntois to make a defence, i. 399, p.
272.
River, coast (Riviera), i. 326.
Road 7'aid, i. 18, p. 22.
Rout, company, i. 15 (end), etc.
Rutter, routier, member of a cofnpany, ad-
venturer, i. 347, p. 221 ; etc.
Sad, serious, respectable, i. 140, p. 113.
Salet, head-piece, i. 128.
Savage, wild, i. 18, p. 19.
Say, assay, ii. 26, p. 332.
Scant, hardly, i. 18, p. 23.
Scot, reckoning, ii. 206, p. 438.
Scriraraish, fight, i. 18, p. 22 ; etc. : spelt
' skrymisshe,' a variation of • skirmish.'
Scurrer, scout, ii. 142 (title), etc.
Scuse, excuse, i. 343.
Scute, Fr. escu, crown, i. loi.
Seignory, lordship, i. 27 (end), etc.
Seisin, possession^ i. 223, p. 151.
Seized of, possessed of, i. 26, p. 35.
Sendal, Indian silk, i. 423, p. 290.
Seneschally, district under a seneschal^ ii.
197, p. 427.
Seneschausse, same as the above, ii. 156.
Sentence, meanings i. Pref.
Septentrion, north, ii. 207.
Servage, bondage, i. 381, p. 250.
Set by, esteem, i. 343, p. 213.
Sewer, server of meat, ii. 31, p. 339.
Siege, see (of a bishop), ii. 228.
Simple, poor, i. 399 (end).
Single, simple, ii. 184, p. 416.
Sith, since, i. Pref., also of lime.
Sithe, sight, \. 18, p. 18.
Skrye, sudden attack, i. 18, p. 23 ; etc.
Slode for ' slid, ' i. 270 (mid. ).
Somer, beast of burden, i. 347, p. 222.
Sore (as noun), difficulty ^ i. 162, p. 125.
Sort, set, company, i. 130, p. 104 ; etc.
Sorts, lots (cast for magic), iL 206, p. 439.
So that, provided that, on condition that, i.
270, p. 198 ; etc.
Soudan, soldan, sul'an, ii. 206, p. 348; etc.
Sown, sound, i. 91, etc., but 'sound' is also
used.
Sowter, cobbler, ii. 29, p. 338.
Sparkle abroad, disperse, scatter, i. 220
(end).
Spial, watch, ii. 34, p. 346.
Stale, for 'stole,' ii. 141 (end).
Stall, stand, i. 81.
Stole, given as translation of • coifftte,' head-
dress, ii. 181, p. 409.
Strainable, violent, i. 356, p. 235.
^iViRi supply (verb), i. 343, p. 213 ; etc.
Supportation, support, i. Pref.
Stuie, Syria,
Table, plank, i. 356.
T3\\, fasten behind (of taking in tow), i. 91.
Taille, tax, ii. 24, p. 319.
Tapet, carpet, ii. 213, p. 446.
Test, witness, ii. 197, p. 427.
Thanken, thank, i. 420, p, 286.
Them, often for 'themselves.'
Thereagainst, against it, i. 348.
Thereas, often for • where. '
Thither-as, whithersoever, i. 431 (end).
Threat, threaten, i. 160.
Tice, stir up, entice, i. 347 (end).
Timbre, drum, ii. 167, p. 401.
Tittle, talk to (verb), ii. 24, p. 319.
To-torn, torn in pieces, i. 350, p. 229.
Trance, state of suspense, i. 343 (end).
Trandal, camp-follower, i. 17.
Travail, trouble (verb), ii. 33, p. 345.
Travailed, wearied, \. 18, p. 18.
Treatable, pleasant, sociable, ii. 196, p. 425.
Treaty, treatise, i. 347 (end).
Treizime, thirteenth, i. 426 (end).
Trencher, slice, ii. 26, p. 332.
Trespass, pass away (of death), i. 20, p. 27 ;
etc. : transgress (trans.), i. 233, p. 163.
Trucheman, interpreter, dragoman, ii. 167,
p. 402.
Tnmcheon, piece cut short, ii. 142 (beg. ).
Truss, pack, i. 18, p. 18 ; etc.
Tryer, apparently a misprint for ' brywer/
i.e. 'brewer,' i. 402.
Try out, pick out, select, ii. 213, p. 447.
Tyeulle, Tlvoli.
Ungracious, wicked, i. 182, etc. : also
' most ungracioust. '
Unhappy, worthless, bad, i. 399 (end), etc.
4«4
THE CHRONICLES OF PROISSART
Unied, united, L 381, p. 351,
Unpfofitable. invalid, n. 196 {end).
Up-se-dovm, upside damn, L 243, p. 190.
Utteranoe, extremUy, fi. 24. p. 331.
Utward, most distant, ii 156 (beg. )l
.LI
3* r-
etc
I
Vail, avail, iL i8x, p. 4x1.
Vale of Olives, Valladolid, L 338, etc
Vsdismce, valour, L 165.
Valure, worth, ii. 34, p. 346.
Varlet. servant, i. 16, p. 15. etc
Vessel of gold and silTer. silver and gold \
plate, ii. 153, p. 387; etc
Viage, /wnwrf , expedition, \. 124, etc^
Vidame, title of a feudal lord, as 'the
vidame of Chalons,' i. 45.
Vigier. title of a magistrate, rkxL Fr.
• viguier.'
Villain, bondman, man of the people, i. 381,
p. 252; etc
Villain, villanous, L 233, p. 163.
Void, leave, L 25.
Volve, turn over, i. Pref.
Wage, in tbe phrase * kept fidd and wa^
of battle,' Fr. 'tint camp ct gage re
bafaiHr.' ue. * gave drrisions 00 caes-
tioos of cfaiialrT,' L 238, p. iSo.
Ward, guard, division (of annr). L i6ol
Weahh, hene^t, L PkeC
Ween, think, L 20. pL 28. etc
Whereas, tehere, L 10. etc
Whither-as. whither, iL 87. p. 368.
V^lnage, duty on wine, L 29. p. 41.
Withoat, unless.
WHhsaj, speah against, L 284, p. 203.
Wod^KJOse, wild man, satyr, iL 1S8 •rcr
• wodewose').
Wood, mad, L 383, p. 255.
Woodness, madness, L 183.
Wrastling, struggle, L 39. p. 50.
Wrye, turn, \. 146, p. 116.
YoNGTH, youth, \. 4, etc
THE END
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